Fight or Flight
by Beast Boy's Swivel Chair
Summary: When a man named Nicholas Galtry comes to claim Beast Boy, which animal instinct will take over? Fight or flight? Life or death? BBRae and slight RobStar
1. Cleanup

**Author's Note: Well, all I can say right now is I hope this doesn't disappoint anyone. If I get any major facts wrong about Beast Boy's past, then please tell me. I am a stickler for perfection.**

**Disclaimer: I can't think of any witty responses right now, but I don't own them.**

**Poll: How do you, personally, pronounce Sakutia?**

* * *

Chapter 1

Cleanup

* * *

Beast Boy rolled over, a groan emitting from his sleeping body. His hand flopped over the side of the bed, his gloves still on. He never took them off except to change them…he couldn't. But, it was no longer his choice. The glove loosened, it's Velcro separated in the night's regular tossing and turning. Steadily, inch by inch, gravity tempted it closer to the ground. For what seemed like hours, it dragged downward, it's mission almost complete. With one final movement, it fell down the side of the bunk bed, landing with a quiet thud. 

The green Titan remained asleep, unaware of his sudden, unwanted exposure. He flinched slightly, one of many reactions to his dreams. None of which were ever pleasant. It seemed to him that sleep was not a way to rest, to rejuvenate, to think of happy things that would make him want so readily to wake up in the morning. No. Sleep was a time for nightmares, for more stress, for the days demons to enlarge, gain power, and rule his body for a full four hours. For that was all the sleep he ever got. Insomnia and fear got the better of him. Fear of what would happen, and did happen, when he slept. Fear of what could happen if he was not alert, not wary of the large window in his room. Fear of who, or what, might just fill their lust and kill him in his sleep.

What the Titans didn't know couldn't hurt them. But the less he knew about something, the more dangerous it seemed. There were many who wanted Beast Boy dead, he knew. He could list three off of the top of his head. That is, if you counted the Brotherhood of Evil as one person. If not, he could think of hundreds. That was his life. Living and sleeping in fear, going night and day wondering if it was to be your last. Which was one reason why he was always so giddy. If he wasn't, then he might just have spent his last day being anything but happy. In other words, if he didn't play the role of the joker on the team, then he just might spend his last day being himself.

He was no prankster, no kid. At times, he felt more mature than even Robin. But if the others knew, he would only be laughed at. Besides, laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep, and you weep alone. Beast Boy had yet to find a saying that applied to him so well. After all, when he was having a bad day and just couldn't find that happy-go-lucky part of his personality, everyone left him alone. Even Raven, who was apparently so attuned to how the others were feeling, wouldn't respond to his silent pleas of loneliness, or fear.

* * *

Letting out an animalistic cry that was stuck between a wolf's howl and a human's scream, the teenager jolted from his sleep, sitting straight up. For a moment, panic set in, and he scrambled off of his bed and looked around his room fearfully. Noticing there was no intruder, nor anything out of place, he calmed. Eyes wandered to his left shoulder, where a moment ago he could have sworn he felt a needle. However, there wasn't a single sign of one. No syringe, no needle, no hole in his arm where pain was still radiating from. That dream had been all too realistic. 

A soft knock resounded off of his door. It was too light to be Cyborg, too tentative to be Starfire, and too quiet to be Robin. That left Raven. Beast Boy opened the door in the manner Raven oftentimes did. He slid it open a mere few inches, staring at her pale, gorgeous face, and revealing only half of his.

"What?" He asked, now wide awake.

"I heard a scream. Are you okay?" Her voice was monotone, uncaring. Obviously she had been sent by the others to check on him.

"I'm fine." He insisted, a little too harshly.

"Where's your glove?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My wha…shit!" His bare hand shot behind his back, his eyes darting around. Where could that damn thing have run off to? Oh, there it was.

His one gloved hand grabbed the attire, quickly putting it in place. Raven watched him, interested in his strange behavior. Well, he was always strange, but this was strange even for him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Now, she was almost worried. Almost.

"I'm fine!" He shouted at her, the door slamming shut.

* * *

His muscles quivered, his mind swam. Did she see? Did she see his hand? Or did she just notice that it wasn't clothed? But, if she did see, he was in trouble. There would be questions, Cyborg would want to look at it, Raven would want to heal it, Starfire would gently pry out of him where he got it. Robin would interrogate him until he cracked. If she saw the mangled, scarred, twisted flesh one would call a hand, it would be trouble.

* * *

Raven stood outside the door, her curiosity-and worry-piqued. He'd never yelled at her…or anyone for that matter…let alone slammed the door in her face. At least, not when he was feeling like himself. Was he sick? Or did it have to do with what she saw on his hand? She hadn't gotten a good look…she only saw a blur of bumps and contorted skin. But it was enough. Something had happened, or maybe was happening. Something wasn't right. But, what could she do about it? She knew he wouldn't appreciate her telling Robin, or anyone for that matter. But she couldn't just let it be. Could she?

* * *

In his room, Beast Boy was collapsed on the lower bunk of his bed. Why did he even have a bunk bed? He didn't need it. Heck, if he wanted to, he could just take out the bottom bed and put a couch or something there, and make his own little game area. Huh…not a bad idea. He would get the measurements for a couch later. Right now, though, if he was even going to think of doing that, he would have to clean his room. 

Rummaging through the piles, he began to sort his items. Books, comics, and movies to his right, stuff that needed to be thrown in a hazardous waste dump into the black garbage bags he had, other things that needed to be thrown away into the white ones, video games to his left, random toys and such behind him, and laundry in front.

"How did I survive with all this toxic crap around me?" He wondered aloud.

Getting a little bored, Beast Boy reached for his stereo. Just a flip of a single switch and his room would be flooded with a much-needed rock song. His now-gloved finger pressed the button, and, as he had hoped, the music maker played Until the End by Breaking Benjamin. As he softly bobbed to the song, he continued cleaning.

* * *

"Has Beast Boy seemed…off…to you Cyborg?" Raven asked softly. They were alone in the garage, but she didn't want anyone besides him finding out she was worried…at least, not yet. 

"Girl, the kid is always 'off'." He joked.

"I'm serious. This morning, he wasn't acting like himself. He was jittery, upset, and he slammed the door in my face." Raven didn't mention the glove. He didn't need to know yet.

"He slammed the door…in your face?" Obviously Cyborg had a hard time believing this. "Come to think of it, the grass stain has been quiet lately. I haven't heard him make a single joke for almost a week now. Why? You think something's up?"

"No." She answered sarcastically. "Of course I do. I'm worried about him. He's been having a lot of nightmares lately…more than usual. I've been having a hard time sleeping because of it, and it seems to me he doesn't sleep at all anymore."

"You want me to do a check on him?"

"Could you? But, run a check on everyone. Just to make it seem less suspicious. I have a feeling he will be expecting this."

"Will do, Rae." The half-robot gave the half-demon a thumbs up, but sweat dropped when he saw her glare. "…ven." He corrected.

"Thank you." Without another word, she turned around and left.

* * *

It was approaching two in the afternoon, and Beast Boy hadn't eaten all day. He wasn't hungry. It was probably just from keeping himself busy. Who knew he had a steel-blue carpet? However, with all the stains, it wouldn't be like that for long. He would have to replace that while he was recreating the bottom bunk. Ah well. It would keep him occupied. 

His ears perked as the sound of heavy footsteps approached. Cyborg…probably wanting to look at his hand. How could Raven rat him out like that? The traitor! As Beast Boy stormed to the door, he thought for a moment. Maybe his friend was just worried. He hadn't come down once that day…not for food, water, even video games. And that wasn't like him. Of course, right now, he didn't feel like himself. He couldn't shake his nightmare. But the less Cyborg knew, the better.

Not three seconds after the elf reached his door, Cyborg knocked…loudly. The room shook a bit…he sounded mad. Or maybe he was just in a hurry. Whenever he had something planned, the eldest Titan would get a little carried away and forget his strength. Which became obvious when a dent appeared in Beast Boy's door.

"Yo! B! Physicals in the med bay in fifteen minutes!" The black teenager called to him.

Physicals? They had just had physicals four months ago. Usually they had them once every six months. Something was up. Raven. She _had _told him. The bitch. But, maybe she had just been worried. The two had never been close, but boy did Beast Boy wish they were. But it would never work, he had convinced himself of that. He had all but given up on her. He had stopped his lame jokes…he knew they annoyed everyone. He had stopped trying to make her tea…she never trusted him with it. He had stopped trying to read her books…she only got mad when she found out. Over all, he had just stopped. He barely even spoke to her anymore, and for reasons like this. He couldn't trust her.

"I'll be there." He called, his voice closely resembling Raven's monotone one.

* * *

On the other side of the door, Cyborg looked at the piece of sliding metal, clearly puzzled. There wasn't a hint of life in the shape shifter's voice. His usual sparky words were dull and without the slightest hint of a flame. Yah, something was wrong with him. Shrugging, the tall teen trudged down the hall, not looking back.

* * *

When he was met with silence, then the loud footfalls of Cyborg, Beast Boy realized he was in trouble. He would be there? He didn't want to be…why had he said he would? The physicals never included Beast Boy's hands, but if he was correct, because of Raven, this time it would. Ten minutes later, as promised, he left his now almost clean room and walked down the hall. His shoulders were slumped, his movements all but steady. His mind was dark with dread…they would find out. Find out what did happen, what was happening, and what would happen in the near future. 

As he entered the medical room, he couldn't help but gag. The smell of ammonia and sickness flooded his senses, driving him crazy. He hated this place with the burning passion of a thousand red hot suns. And why did it have to be white? Why couldn't sterile things be a better, less blinding color? Like black? Or Navy? Or Indigo? Or anything but freaking white! As he shielded his eyes from the horrid color, he noticed everyone staring at him. Raven was worried, Cyborg looked suspicious and worried, Robin was indifferent, and Starfire was curious.

"Alright, B. Your turn." Cyborg walked towards him, and the green teenager instinctively took a step back, putting his hands behind his back. Well, if they didn't suspect him, they did now. "Man, what's wrong? You can tell us."

Beast Boy shot a death glare at Raven, who returned it with a blank stare of her own. He merely shook his head in the negative, his body quivering. He didn't trust them. In their attempt to "help" him, they would destroy him. He didn't need them. They wouldn't be able to provide safety for what was coming. After all, _he _knew who he was before, and that he was a Titan. It wasn't hard to put together. Green kid with pointy ears and a fang, green Titan with pointy ears and a fang…not that hard to miss.

Everyone stared at him silently. Beast Boy inched closer to the door, rage consuming him. They wouldn't know how to help them, and all attempts would be futile and a waste of time. He couldn't let them try. They would end up studying him like _he _did, like some animal. A low, predatory growl emitted from his throat, barely audible, but there. He crouched slightly, ready to run. Cyborg reached for him, soothingly trying to calm him down. But, instead of gaining his trust, he only lost it. Beast Boy tried to bolt for the door, but Cyborg's large hands gripped his shoulders, restraining him.

"What has gotten into you, man?" He yelled, trying to get through to his friend.

He was met with a kick in the shin. It didn't hurt him, but it startled him. Beast Boy clawed and struggled, fighting against Cyborg's grip. The other Titans watched his attempt at freedom, shocked. He was acting like a caged animal.

"Robin! See that vile on the counter, the one with the clear liquid?" Cyborg motioned to the bar on the far wall. Robin nodded, running to get it.

The Boy Wonder handed the syringe to the metal man, who in turn jabbed it into the green changeling's arm. Still Beast Boy struggled, though his movements grew weak. He whimpered in defeat, his vision growing dim and body slacking. Before unconsciousness took him over, he heard someone…he couldn't quite tell who…mutter "Sorry Beast Boy." And he was gone.


	2. Trapped

**Author's Note: Well, here's chapter 2. If you haven't answered Chapter 1's poll, I would really appreciate if you did. Thanks so much! And I am sorry that I keep deleting and reuploading this. I upload it, check it to make sure everything is correct, and upload it, then when I am reading it over just to make sure, FFN has decided to delete a section of it. I mean, wth?**

**Disclaimer: Let me check…nope, I don't own 'em.**

**Poll: In your opinion, is Terra Good, or Evil?**

* * *

Chapter 2

Trapped

* * *

Beast Boy couldn't sort anything out. His senses, his memories, his thoughts, his beliefs, his emotions, they all jumbled into one big mess, worse than his room had once been. He remembered his current confusion. He heard the bands against his arms, his legs, his torso. Everything was wrong, nothing made sense. But one thought, one fact, broke through it all. One thought made sense, was clear to him. His friends had drugged him and strapped him down. 

He tried and failed to raise his hand and rub his shoulder. What had happened? Why was it sore? His dream…his shoulder had been sore all day-or what he assumed was still the same day-and it was even more sore now. The needle. Cyborg had stabbed him with a needle. Blurs of the day's happenings rushed at him. His room just had a few more piles of junk to sort through. He was going to fix up his bottom bunk. His glove had…his gloves! Where were his gloves. He attempted to raise his head, but that was apparently strapped down as well. His fingers rubbed along the palm of his hands…his _bare_ hands. Crap. They had seen his hands. Now, the only thing left to look forward to were the questions, and that was not something he wanted to do.

As if on cue, Cyborg entered the room, at first not registering that he had an audience. He mumbled to himself as he checked Beast Boy's vitals, and jotted something down on the pad he was holding.

"Blood pressure's a little high…what's gotten into you BB?"

Beast Boy didn't answer…he knew Cyborg didn't direct the question at him. He knew Cyborg didn't even know he was awake. And Beast Boy wanted to keep it that way. His breathing remained silent and even as he listened to the traitor move about the room, take his blood, seemingly test it, and continue to mumble inaudibly. The elf heard the doors to the room slide open, and for a moment he had thought Cyborg had left. But in fact, someone else had entered.

"Friend Cyborg, how is Beast Boy?" Starfire's unmistakable voice rang through the room. It was grating, and gave the changeling a ridiculous headache.

"He's not too bad. I don't know what's gotten into him, Star. He's hiding something…I just wish I knew what." Was Cyborg…crying? No, just worried. Cyborg didn't cry, he was a tough teenager. He wouldn't cry over something like this.

"As do I friend. But we must not worry. Beast Boy will tell us when he is ready." Well, at least someone wasn't bursting out of their shell to find out what was going on in his personal life.

"I know, girl. I just can't help but worry. I mean, he's never acted that way around me. Something's upsetting him, and it kills me to see that I can't help him."

Beast Boy sighed inwardly. _You can't help me anyway._ He thought listlessly. He was lost, and would die soon. Whether by _him, _the disease, or himself, his life wouldn't last much longer. It was amazing he had lived this long, or been with the Titans this long. He was sure that as soon as _he _knew that the green teen was in America, he would have swooped down and killed him before he was adopted. But, _he _had waited. For reasons unknown to Beast Boy, the evil man had waited to kill him.

"We must have confidence that all will be well. For if we only spend our time worrying, we will not use our time to discover what is ailing him and be able to save him."

"But that's just it, Star. I don't think it is a disease that is making him act like this. Raven told me he has been having nightmares, bad enough that she can't sleep, and she told me apparently he hasn't slept much lately, either. Whatever it is, it is terrifying him. And it's as if he doesn't trust us to help him."

"Perhaps he is afraid to put faith in us as his friends, as he was during the Brotherhood of Evil. Perhaps he does not wish to see us hurt, and is merely protecting us from something we do not know of."

_I'm sorry Star, but no. This guy, he won't hurt you. Just me. _Beast Boy thought. Not wanting the conversation to go any farther, or to have them get their own hopes up, Beast Boy opened his eyes. Habitually, he tried to upright himself, but the straps held firm. Did they think he was crazy, or something? Again emitting a deep growl, he balled his fists. They were treating like an animal…the animal he had always been thought of. A rabid, dangerous, unpredictable creature that should be euthanized but the owners wouldn't allow it. Maybe that was exactly what he was. A dangerous creature that no longer had a right to live.

"Beast Boy!" Starfire cheered. She shrank back, however, when he growled at her. "Friend Beast Boy, it is me, Starfire. Do not be angry at us." She softly pleaded with him.

He refused to look at her, at either of them. The traitors. They had drugged him, had removed his gloves, had tested him like this was some animal testing facility. His fists remained balled up, knuckles white. They were keeping him chained, and he hated it.

"B, calm down and I will remove the straps." Cyborg bargained. But the changeling refused to comply. If that was what it would take to be free, he'd rather not.

"No." His voice was harsh.

"We only want to help you, man."

"You can't."

Cyborg was growing frustrated. His own fists balled up, his eyes squeezed shut. "Beast Boy, why won't you tell us what's wrong?"

"Because it's hopeless." The teenager on the bed admitted.

"It is not hopeless, dear friend!" Starfire's overly loud voice cried to him.

"But it is."

"At least tell us why it is hopeless." She begged.

"It's a long story…one I don't want to talk about." His body was beginning to relax, his fists no longer so tight. He closed his eyes, holding back tears. He couldn't talk about it. Too much guilt…too much loss…too much pain. He couldn't bring himself to.

"Friend, no story is too long for us."

"You don't understand!" Beast Boy could feel his rage returning. His voice made the room shake, and he could feel his body again tensing up.

"Calm down." A new voice…Raven.

Beast Boy stiffened fully, resisting the urge to hiss. He wanted so badly to change into something…a snake, a cat, anything. Just to get out of here. But something was holding him back. It had been holding him here, keeping him plastered to the white bed. He could feel Raven's stare, her deep amethyst eyes boring into the side of his face. She wasn't pleased, he just knew it. She had been all too willing to tattle on him, to get him "help".

"You need to tell us what is wrong." She said quietly, emotionless.

"No." He hissed. His lips curled slightly in a tiny snarl, his eyes darting to her.

"Why?"

He didn't answer. He didn't want to. It was obvious why. Wasn't it? Even if it wasn't, what was he supposed to say? My crazy guardian wants to abduct me and kill me? Possibly just sell me to the insane scientist who will torture me to the end of my days? I am going to be sick with Sakutia again soon, and there is no cure? I'm dying?

They wouldn't believe him. And if they did, they would refuse to give up. They would just waste their energy trying to protect him from the inevitable. Before he could finally answer her, the door slid open, revealing the last member on the team: Robin. Of course he would arrive last. Beast Boy was surprised he came at all. Probably just to interrogate him.

"What do you want?" He spat.

For a moment, Robin was quiet, staring at him with his emotionless yet cynical look. Beast Boy tugged slightly at his arm bands, just to see if they would give. Of course they wouldn't. Cyborg had latched them, most likely. And when he did something, he did it right the first time.

"What's going on?" The bird boy finally answered, in his Interrogation Voice.

"None of your damn business." The changeling spat.

"It is my business, Beast Boy. You are on my team, you are my responsibility."

"You just want to throw me in jail, isn't that right?" Beast Boy's voice was mocking, and hurt. It was obvious that was all he wanted. It was all he ever wanted.

"That's not true, and you know it."

"Do I?"

"Enough of this nonsense! What is going on?" Robin's voice was slow, strained, frustrated.

"Aww…is the mighty sidekick of the Dark Knight getting angry?" The youngest member smirked. "Well, I know you are about to throw a temper tantrum, but I've got to be going."

Beast Boy morphed into a fly…or…he thought he did. But…he was still stuck. Still stuck in his human form. This was embarrassing.

"Really?" This time, it was the walking traffic light who smirked.

"What did you do to me, damnit?" Beast Boy's face was no longer green, but a fluorescent red. No one messed with his powers, no one. When he got out of this, they were going to pay. No one prevented him from morphing. No one took control of his body like that.

"Beast Boy, calm down."

"Calm down?!_Calm down?! You want me to calm down_? WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!"

Beast Boy struggled against the restraints…they couldn't hold forever. His back arched, his muscles tensed, his body jerked. He had to get out…the experiments had already started. Without a single explanation, they had started experimenting. They were going to cut him open, explore his insides, see just what it was that made him like this. They were going to kill him. They were.

His mind went haywire as he felt a restraint break. The one holding down his head. As his mind reeled, he strained against the other straps, and the two Titans who were now holding him down. Faintly, he could hear Cyborg screaming for the sedative. Softly, he heard Raven yelling at him to calm down. Barely, he heard Starfire's cries. And then, there was nothing. Again. Only darkness to comfort his screams. Only the nightmares.

* * *

_Beast Boy walked down the hall, eyes darting back and forth. Something wasn't right. He could smell someone…someone who didn't belong here. Someone that wasn't a Titan. Someone he knew, but couldn't place. But, as he turned around to look behind him, the scenery changed. No longer was he in a door-less hall in the tower. He was now in the dense jungles of Upper Lumumba, Africa. And there was something still behind him. _

_But no longer was it the mysterious presence. For this one didn't mind making it known that it was lurking behind the teenager. The green monkey leapt out of the bushes, clamping down on Beast Boy's shoulder. He screamed in agony, blood pouring from the wound. His eyes closed tightly, hand gripping his shoulder. Then, almost as suddenly as it had begun, it was gone. He looked at where it once was, and all that was there was a scar, and a mark where a needle had entered his body. _

_He stood up, and looked around him. Yet again, the scenery had changed. Now, he was on a boat, and ahead, a waterfall erased all remains of the river. He could hear his parents screaming, but he couldn't see them. Frightened, he morphed into a parrot and flew off the boat, only moments before it fell over the edge of the falls. Panting, he looked over the edge, and finally saw his parents…climbing the cliff. They were soaked, their bodies mangled. Part of his mother's skull was missing, and she was covered in blood and gouges. His father was missing and eye and a few fingers, and there was a hole in his stomach._

_Beast Boy leaned to his side, depositing the remains of his last meal. His eyes again averted to his parents, who were now standing in front of him. "You killed us." They hissed. "And now we will kill you." They lunged for him, tearing at his clothes and hair. They ripped at his skin, and lifted him over their heads. He struggled and screamed, begging for his life. But it was no good. Grinning madly, they threw him over the edge. _

_His shoulder hit the water first. The sting of the rushing, bubbling, fresh water was relentless, intense, deadly. All that existed was the pain. It numbed him, it tore through him, it erased his very existence until all he was and ever had been was in pain. But, there was something else. Someone was pulling him from the river. The person who had been in the Tower! His eyes were all Beast Boy could see-the rest was shadow-but that was all he needed to see._

"_You!" He hissed. _

"_Me." Was the calm reply._

_He opened his mouth to fight back with words, but it was too late. The man was gone…replaced by four others who were tying ropes to each limb. And attached to the ropes, were horses. Each limb had it's own horse, and each horse pointed a different direction. The one tied to his right foot was a red roan mare, slim and tall. The one holding his left foot was a green stallion with red spots, short and stocky. The one attached to his left hand was a blue roan stallion, with flecks of white covering his body, a little taller than the other roan. And the one possessing his right hand was a black mare, her height caught between that of the green and red stallion and the red roan mare. _

_Three of the horses looked stern, evil, hating the one they were about to rip apart. But the black mare, she was sad, regretful. Her eyes told him that he was going to die, but she didn't want him to. A soft "I'm sorry" fell from her lips, and all four horses where whipped, and bolted. _

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm going to stop here, just to be cruel. Muhaha!**


	3. Explanation

**Author's Note: Well, three chapters in one day. I'm pretty proud of myself. Lol**

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own them.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Explanation

* * *

Beast Boy screamed bloody murder, nearly ripping his arms out of their sockets as he jolted upwards. It was the dream again. But this one was a bit different. It didn't matter, though. The pain of a needle in his arm resounded through his entire body, and his joints connecting his limbs to his body were flared with pain. He jerked at the restrains, terrified. He had to get out, he had to run. He was frightened, alone, hurting. As he jerked on the leather straps, the door to the room opened, revealing three of the remaining four Titans.

"Friend Beast Boy! Why did you scream?" Starfire cried.

Beast Boy couldn't answer…he was still struggling to be free. Though, as all mortals do, he grew tired, sinking back down to the bed. His breathing was labored, interrupted by pain and confusion. Where was he? What day was it? Who was speaking to him? Where had he just been? Questions spun through his head, none being answered.

He lay still in the bed, eyes closed, and tears streaming down his face. What was happening to him?

"Beast Boy?" Cyborg was calling to him this time. He sounded a bit scared, and a bit wary.

A soft groan was the only response he got. Not a growl, as had been common these past few…hours?...days?...whatever. His face was contorted with pain, with misery, with fear. His body shook with tremors and chills, a cold sweat breaking over his body. Was he getting sick again?

Sensitive ears picked up the footfalls of two people…Cyborg and one of the girls. He could feel the female's fingers resting on his wrist, checking his pulse. He could clearly hear the heart monitor beeping relentlessly, so why were they checking him? Did they not believe the machine? It sounded way too fast…he hoped it was wrong…but something told him it wasn't. His dream had been so real, so painful. It wouldn't surprise him if he died while dreaming.

"Cyborg, please do not give Beast Boy the sedative again. I do not think he would like that."

"I won't. He's not fighting back right now. Beast Boy…what's wrong, man?"

Beast Boy tried to answer. He got some indistinguishable sounds out, but couldn't seem to form the words. They were coming together in his head, but broke apart before he could utter them. His vision was swimming…everything blurred into one object. He could make out two faces, a dark, half-metal one and a pale one. Raven. For once, he didn't feel like snapping at her. She had been the only horse to not want to kill him. He wanted to reach up and hug her, to thank her. But the blasted straps wouldn't allow it. And neither would the pain his body was feeling.

"Come on, stay with me." Raven's hand rested on his cheek, holding his head up.

He saw her, he saw Cyborg, yet at the same time, he didn't. It felt like a dream, a relatively painless one. He was in agony, sure, but was not currently being tortured. He tried to focus, but couldn't for long. Suddenly exhausted, he lay his head against her hand and nearly fell asleep.

"Don't you pass out on me now." Raven's voice kept him awake.

He nodded slightly, the throbbing sting starting to subside. A sigh of relief escaped his lips, and he struggled to mutter an "I'm sorry."

"What, B?"

"M sor…"

"Hey, focus man." Cyborg tried to bring him around. "You're gonna be alright, I promise. Okay?"

Not caring at the moment if he would or not, the changeling nodded. His eyes opened a bit, looking first at the two carefully watching him, then to the alien girl hanging back a few feet. A few tears shimmered in her eyes, and her hands were clasped prayer-style. Wow…they were really worried about him. He knew they would be. After all, they were his best friends.

"Where's Robin?" The green teen managed to ask.

"Working." There was a heavy amount of spite in Cyborg's voice. Something was wrong.

"What's going on, dude?" Beast Boy's words were slurred together, but his question was clear enough.

"Oh nothing. _Boy Wonder _just decided to ditch us when we needed him and go watch TV."

"Figures." The exhausted teenager sighed.

He wanted to sleep, so badly. He knew that he would only be met with another nightmare, but he was so tired. Again, the weight of his head rested heavily against Raven's hand, and she jiggled him awake.

"What did I say?" She scolded.

"Sorry." He yawned, the movement hurting his neck.

"Where are you sore?"

"Everywhere." He answered the other boy. There was a slightly joking tone to his words.

"I'm serious."

"Me too."

"Where does it hurt the most?"

"My shoulders, especially my left one. And where my legs were…" _Don't say ripped out. _He silently reminded himself. "My hips."

"Alright, let me look at your left shoulder first." Beast Boy could feel his sleeve being cut off at the neck.

As Cyborg removed the spandex sleeve, he was met with a horrendous scar and a red, bruised area where a needle had entered the boy's body. But, it wasn't from the sedative. He had put that in on the boy's right arm. Just to make sure, the half-robot removed the other sleeve. Lo and behold, two small holes rested on the boy's arm, a few inches from the shoulder.

"Where did you get this?" Cyborg gently poked the bruise, causing Beast Boy to wince. "Sorry."

"'Ts'kay." The boy mumbled. "Isn't that where you shot me?"

"No, I gave you the sedatives on your right arm. And I was careful enough not to give you a bruise. But this bruise was caused by a shot."

"My dream." The green one muttered.

The three others in the room exchanged glances, then looked back to him for more of an explanation.

His cheeks flushed at the embarrassment, then he cleared his throat. "This morning…or…when did we have the 'physicals'?" Cyborg and Raven flinched at the harsh word.

"Yesterday." Cyborg replied.

"Alright. Yesterday, I woke up, and my arm was sore. I didn't think anything of it…thought it was cause of my dream." Beast Boy's words were growing stronger, less weak. "Guess not, huh?" He smiled a bit, liking the feeling of not being angry.

"Apparently not. I don't have a camera set up in the bedrooms, but I will look at the one outside your window, and the perimeter ones. To check and see if anyone broke in. The perimeter alarm has been on the fritz, so it's possible someone did." There was shame in Cyborg's voice. The metal man knew he should have fixed the alarm, but he hadn't gotten around to it. And now, it might have cost his friend's life.

He left, his heavy footsteps echoing down the hall to the surveillance room. Starfire, who had remained quiet, finally spoke up.

"Friend Beast Boy, are you no longer angry at us?" She asked tentatively.

"No. I'm sorry I was before. I couldn't help it." He sighed. He had a feeling he knew exactly who broke into his room.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to heal the scars on your hand so…" Raven was hesitant, as well. "…I didn't. Do you want me to?"

Beast Boy shook his head. He felt as if those scars, though no one should have ever seen them, defined him. They reminded of his past mistakes, and of his past in general. Erasing those was like erasing part of his life, part of the pain he had for so long suffered. He couldn't let go of the twisted mutations, not yet.

"How did you get them?" Starfire asked, whispering. She didn't want him to snap at her again for asking him to explain.

Beast Boy inhaled harshly, his exhale shaky. "When I was seven my parents…died." He would leave out the detail that he was sure it was his fault…for now. "My guardian, Nicholas Galtry, had been embezzling money from my parent's bank account for awhile, and when he heard they were dead and I was in his care, and that if I died he would get my inheritance, he decided to kill me. After all, I was now officially his child, and if he made it look like an accident, mourn for a couple weeks, no one would know the difference. And so, he attempted to murder me. But before he could, a scientist named Samuel Register, got a hold of me. He performed experiments on me, trying to find out my pain tolerance, how I changed, anything that could have been affected by the disease. He…"

"Friend, of what disease do you speak of?" Starfire cut him off.

Beast Boy looked at her, sorrow and fear filling his eyes. "Sakutia." He whispered.

He remained quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He had started to cry, if only slightly. His past hurt, and he didn't like talking about it. He took another distressed breath, and continued.

"He kept me in his possession for almost two years. I'm surprised _he _didn't kill me with everything he did to me…including this." His hands raised, showing them the scarred, twisted backs of them.

Starfire let out a small gasp, holding his hands. A soft tear landed in the center of his right hand. "I am sorry my friend." She whispered.

"Is that what your nightmares have been about?" Raven asked.

"Partially. I just can't shake the feeling that Galtry is coming back for me." He admitted.

Before other questions could be asked, Cyborg reappeared. He looked guilty, ashamed, and upset. And Beast Boy had a feeling he knew exactly why.

"What did you find?" He asked.

"Someone broke into your room." He muttered. "I don't know what he gave you, but I need to test your blood to make sure it's gone."


	4. Hello

**Author's Note: Here comes another chapter! I hope this one has more action than the previous three. I know I promised Nicholas Galtry's appearance in this fic…don't worry, it will come.**

**Disclaimer: -we pan in on Bart Simpson yet again writing on the Disciplinary Chalk Board. The board reads "Beast Boy's Swivel Chair does not own Teen Titans"-**

**Poll: if every Titan played an instrument, what instruments do you think they would play?**

* * *

Chapter 4

Hello

* * *

"Do you request we leave, Cyborg?" Starfire asked as the tin man dug through the cabinets for a sterile needle. 

"You can go if you want, but it's up to Beast Boy."

The girls looked at their youngest friend, who smiled at them. "It's up to you."

"I am not 'the comfortable' with needles." The alien excused herself. Quietly, with one last, unusually gentle hug, she walked out of the room.

The empath, too, dismissed herself, saying she didn't want to know the results before Beast Boy. The grass stain watched the two girls leave. He wasn't happy that they were gone…but he wasn't angry or upset either. He would rather Raven had stayed, but with her gone, at least he could be more relaxed, and react to the news however he wanted. He didn't have to play 'strong' just to make her feel better. Of course, with her, it wouldn't have mattered much anyway.

Beast Boy winced as the needled entered his skin. It wasn't that it hurt him…he just had a hidden fear of hospitals and all their equipment, especially syringes. Not many good memories accompanied the plastic container with the metal prick. Not many at all.

"Alright…now I will just run it through this scanner, which will detect any abnormal material in your blood's plasma. Then, using radiation, it will…"

"Cyborg?" Beast Boy interrupted. "Not to be rude but, I probably won't understand a word you are about to say, so I wouldn't try to explain it."

The half-robot nodded, and turned his focus back on the machine. For a silent five minutes, the Titans waited, praying that whatever had been injected into the changeling had long since faded. A resounding beep echoed through the room, and a line chart flipped up on the screen. First, a green line appeared, which remained relatively flat. Then a blue line, which also stayed neutral. The final, red line appeared, with an enormous spike close to the center.

"Antigens are up…" Cyborg muttered to himself, feverously typing on the keyboard.

"What do you mean 'antigens'?" The elf asked, worried.

"Well, in short…and in English…" He looked at Beast Boy for a moment, an eyebrow raised. "Antigens are what creates your blood type, like AB positive or A negative. If they are disrupted or changed in any way, it can make your body go haywire and shut itself down one organ at a time. Your antigens were screwed up enough that it would kill any normal person in a matter of hours, but I guess, because of your unique biology, your body sort of corrected the problem on it's own, merely tampering with your brain for awhile. That was why you had such an extreme personality change for the past couple days."

For a moment, Beast Boy sat still, dumbfounded. "I…actually…understood that. But, if my body has fixed it already, how come you can still see it on the chart?"

"That's just it, Beast Boy. Your body hasn't fixed it yet. It will, eventually, but it could take hours, days, maybe weeks. And I don't know what will happen to you as that transformation occurs. I don't know if you will stay as you are now, if your body will begin to shut down, if you will have another personality change, or if something far worse will happen. With your strange DNA, I can't predict anything. All I know is, you'll survive."

The teenager nodded, leaning back in his chair. He would survive. Good enough for him. But, what would happen if Galtry found out? What if he came back? The man wasn't known for making mistakes, let alone twice in a row. When he did something, he did it right, or else. Beast Boy knew he would be back. It was only a matter of time.

"So, have you fixed the security system yet?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

"I'm sorry, I haven't. I found a glitch in the system that is irreparable. I had to completely uninstall the defense system, and am rebooting it as we speak. It'll take a couple days to complete." Seeing the upset and scared look in Beast Boy's eyes, Cyborg quickly covered himself. "Though, the inside of the Tower is still functioning. If anyone gets in here that isn't supposed to, we'll know." The black teenager smiled, hoping Beast Boy would take that for a decent answer.

The changeling nodded, getting up from his chair. "I'm gonna go take a nap, okay?" He informed the metal man.

"Oh no you don't. I want to keep you here so you can be monitored. If something happens to you and you need medical treatment, I want to know about it. You can sleep in here, if you like." The gigantic teen thrust himself between the door and the changeling, his arms spread a bit.

Grumbling, Beast Boy sat on the stiff, springy bed closest to him. Why couldn't they get Temperpedic mattresses in here? The other rooms had them, why not this one? Maybe they did cost a lot, but with Beast Boy's immense inheritance and Robin's unknown source of endless money, it would hardly be a burden to get them.

* * *

Night had set, and Cyborg had left long ago. Beast Boy lay on the bed, quiet, and alone. Raven and Starfire had taken turns visiting him, bringing him dinner, and whatnot, but he wanted to go to his room. He didn't know why, but he felt safer there. Okay, maybe his room had been where this entire mess had started, but at least in his room there were no needles, no medications, no thick scents of ammonia. And there were things to do. As he had cleaned his room, he had found old comic books, a bunch of old video games, board games, word puzzles, movies, even books. Yes, books. The stupid, annoying changeling actually liked to read. Though, his books weren't in English. English he couldn't stand. Too different from his native tongue. No, all of his books were in Swahili, the language spoken by the tribes where he grew up. 

As he lay in bed, his memories drifted back to Africa. He missed the local tribes, especially Chief Tawaba. The chief had been his mentor since he had been born, teaching him fighting skills, how to fish, how to hunt, he was even the one to teach Beast Boy to walk. And then there were Beast Boy's parents. While his mother taught him to read, to write, math, and science, his father taught him more. His father taught him to play the guitar, to play the lute, to make maps of where you explored, to swim, and to climb trees. Most boys, he later learned, had taught themselves how to climb trees. But in fact, it had been his father who had always jumped to the lowest branch first, guiding the child's way up the enormous foliage, where, once they reached the top, they could see for what seemed like miles. And up there, amongst the birds, the monkeys, and the sky, all stress disappeared. Fears were swept away in the wind. Cares were left at the trunk of the tree. There was nothing but fresh air, a beautiful horizon, and a boy and his dad.

* * *

Beast Boy must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, there was a cloth being pressed to his mouth and nose. He tried to scream. He kicked and swung out at whoever was holding him down. He bit on the fabric, searching for fingers. He tried to morph, and then remembered he couldn't. As his vision began to blur, and the room began to spin, his hand flew outwards, striking the wall, and the button that was on it. The alarm blared, a female voice calmly repeating "Code Red: Medical Room." As he began to lose consciousness, the changeling couldn't help but wonder who recorded those kinds of things. Did they have some recording studio, hand the person a list of phrases they needed to say, and just wing it? Or was it all computerized? The green boy didn't have time to figure it out though. With the last thing he heard being the soft chuckle of a man, he drifted into a deep, unwanted sleep.

* * *

"What happened?" The enormous Titan struggled to stand, gripping a counter as if it was his life support. 

He blinked several times, struggling to clear his blurry vision. He was blinded by colors, so many colors. Every shade of every piece of equipment brightened significantly, as though there was a white light built into them. The white wall, the white floor, the white sheets, they were glowing with an almost ethereal rim of glitter, giving him a headache. He coughed once, running a scan on himself as he watched the others on the floor move.

Starfire stood up first, hands splayed out like a tight rope walker struggling to regain her balance. She stumbled over to a chair, not-so-gracefully lowering her slender body into its welcoming arms. Her legs were shaking, and her eyes were still partially glazed over. The alien moaned, placing a hand to her left temple.

"Cyborg, why must the room be so blinding?" She questioned, her words a bit tipsy.

The half-robot didn't answer. He was busy checking the results of his scan. So far, so good. Whatever that guy had used to put them out was gone, doing no further damage to his systems, both human and robot alike. As he tried to remain standing, and Starfire slumped in her chair, the final two Titans aroused.

Robin sat up, groaning like a child refusing to get up for school. And for a moment, it seemed like he was going to protest going to such a horrendous place. His mouth was slightly agape, dark creases flowing from the corners of his lips, and probably his eyes, though it was impossible to tell without his mask. He, like Starfire, rubbed his temple, placing his free hand protectively over his eyes. Even with the lights off, it was blindingly bright.

Raven, for a moment, remained laying where she was, her already large eyes widening as she scanned her surroundings. Slowly, she rolled on her stomach, her cape entwining around her bodice. Her arms pushed her up, clearly quaking. The look on her face bellowed the question everyone was thinking. "What the heck happened?"

And then, almost at the same time, a look of recognition covered their faces. All eyes darted to the first bed in a row of four, where the green Titan should have been resting. Instead, it was empty, the only sign of his existence being a shred of black cloth and a few tousled sheets. Raven's eyes glowed with a dark, white energy. She stood sharply, forgetting her disorientation. There was no time for mortal impairments. Her best friend had been taken, right out from under her.

"Raven, calm down." Robin softly commanded, bracing himself for the emotion-powered onslaught that was sure to come. No such thing occurred. A few objects were encased in black, of course, but nothing flew. Nothing exploded. Nothing crushed. Nothing moved.

"We need to get him back." She declared. "Where is he?"

Everyone knew it was rhetorical. And yet, at the same time, it wasn't. It was possible to find out where he was. It was difficult, but possible. After the Brotherhood of Evil incident, Cyborg had placed a homing chip on each of the original 5 Titans, as well as Titans East. With the highly probable chance of being separated again, and in case someone went missing, he had wanted a backup way to locate any of the Titans. Each chip was coded into each com device, as well, so that at any given time anyone could find the person in question.

Raven pulled out her own circular device, navigating through the memory to find Beast Boy's unique signature. It showed he was five feet away from them. Lo and behold, when she looked at his bed, a small, almost pill-like, blinking chip was resting on the bed, surrounded by a dollar-sized spot of blood.

* * *

His eyes fluttered open, his surroundings mere silhouettes at first. His vision was blurred, his body tingling. He knew all too well what had happened when he was last conscious. Though he had seen movies, read books, and had just basically been taught that when one was drugged, for a short time they had no memory of what had happened earlier, he was not hit with that epidemic. He remembered everything, as if it had happened just a few seconds ago. 

And, for the position he was in, he was relatively calm. Again, society taught him that when someone awakens from a chemically induced unconsciousness, they at first panic…frightened of their surroundings or where they might have been taken, or what might have been or would be done to them. He knew no such fear. Perhaps it was his training as a superhero, perhaps it was that he had a good idea of where he was and what would happen, or perhaps it was because he wasn't one for panicking in stressful situations. Though he knew at time he overreacted, it was all staged. He rarely felt fear…he could smell the fear on others, however, and that drove him crazy.

The changeling blinked once, his sight automatically correcting itself. As his eyes grew adjusted to the darkness, he noticed a wide variety of instruments hanging from the walls, set on tables, even stacked up in the corners of the rectangular room. He also noticed a window that he could not see through, but was sure others could on the other side. There was a metal table to his left, and a spring bed without a mattress on his right. Beside the place where he lay was a tray with an assortment of tools resting on it, like you would see just before a doctor began some sort of exploration surgery.

And he knew that they were for him. He was the one who was going to be explored. He could feel the all too familiar restraints tied around his ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, and abdomen. But, instead of the gentle, painless leather straps in the Tower's medical bay, they were wire, tied tightly so that they cut into his flesh. He imagined that when they were first tied, blood had ran down his arms and body like small rivers. But now, the blood was dry, the only reminder of its existence being a few places that felt like there was a dried up piece of glue stuck to his skin. It wasn't a good feeling.

Beast Boy couldn't help but be surprised at how quiet the room was. He had been certain that just a few moments after he awoke someone would be beside him, ready to perform the necessary tests. But, indeed, there was no one. There were no shadows behind the window. There were no cameras focused on him. The only cameras that were in the room were either turned off or broken and dangling downward by a single wire.

He sighed deeply. This was boring. He knew he should be trying to escape, but if he was right on where he was and who had taken him, there was no such thing as fleeing. Once you were taken by him, you stayed with him. And any attempt at freedom would cost you a lot of pain, and possibly your life. Before Beast Boy could think further on what to do, the thick, large, metal door to the room creaked open, revealing a tall, bulky figure.

"Hello, Garfield." The voice was cynical, yet silky. It resembled Slade's, and at the same time, did not. This voice was deeper, more brawny. And it had more of a scientific accent than a criminal one.

"Hello, Samuel."

* * *

**Author's Note: I just wanted to let you all know that Antigens are not what makes up your blood's structure, nor is that the effect that they will cause if changed…at least, not that I know of. So if you, on some off chance, look it up, don't be surprised to find me wrong. **


	5. Hopeless

**Author's Note: Well, I have bled chapter 5 out of me. My tendonitis has been acting up recently, and yesterday it was bad enough that I couldn't bend my fingers on both hands. But, that doesn't mean I can't peck at the keyboard.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own them.**

**Poll: Who's your favorite villain?**

* * *

Chapter 5

Hopeless

* * *

The wavy-haired man looked down on the Titan with a strange glint in his eye. It was one of prosperity, eagerness, possibly some revenge, and plenty of pure evil. His white teeth, the canines sharper and slightly longer than any normal human's, glinted in the dim lighting. Their white color was a vast contrast to the mat of brown hair and dark chestnut eyes. What seemed to be a spot of oil or black dirt was faint on his left cheek, the signs of significant scrubbing in an attempt to remove the stain clearly visible. He moved forward, now beside the chained half-animal, his wicked grin staring the boy down. 

"So you remember me." It was no question, merely a stating of the obvious.

"How could I forget you, Sammy boy?" For someone as terrified as he was, his voice remained rather level. Of course, what he wouldn't give to run away and hide in a corner where he could scream and cry and never again look at this horrible man who had destroyed his life.

The man didn't respond. He merely watched the green teenager with the malevolent grin. A small laugh, almost a sharp scoff, quietly slipped past his lips, and he turned to the tools on the small table next to the metal bed. Though Beast Boy couldn't see just what he was doing, by his body movements and the sound of metal hitting metal, he knew that the "scientist" was preparing to dissect his "organism". And the last thing the changeling wanted right now was a new scar to add to the list. Helpless, he squirmed a bit, his fingers fiddling with the locks on the restraints.

"So, when are you going to let me out of here?" It was a stupid question…but it was supposed to be.

As Beast Boy had planned, the cruel man began a laughing fit, starting off a long monologue about how the teen would never again see the light of day, if he had anything to do with it. About how his friends would never find him. No, it was too late for that. They had been drugged with a mild air-bourn sedative that they were probably waking from at this very moment. But, the brilliant embezzler who had hired Samuel was smart, and had given him a small device that detected the slightest electrical current within a five meter radius. And the small device had picked up the signal of Beast Boy's tracking chip. No, his friends would never find him.

The monologue was exactly what Beast Boy had expected, and exactly what he needed. As the all-too-familiar torturer loudly proclaimed his brilliance and that of Nicholas Galtry, the Titan had been able to work the small buckles on the straps holding his wrists. They clicked open quietly, the movement going unnoticed by the tall demon.

* * *

Cyborg paced, his hands clenched into fists behind his back. This was taking too long. Every second they wasted, the kidnapper got father and farther away, and harder and harder to track. Every second Robin stared at that blasted computer screen, every time he rubbed his chin, things became more hopeless. They were going to lose Beast Boy, and yet they were sitting here doing nothing. 

Raven sat quietly, struggling to meditate. Her mind groped for any sign of Beast Boy. For his emotions, for that spark in him that she loved so much, for anything that would give her a clue as to where he was. But there was nothing. There were too many people in the city, too many places where he could be. And if he wasn't in the city, then it was nearly hopeless. His unique signature, as different from every one else's as his green skin, was slipping through her grasp, and it was her fault. She wasn't trying hard enough, she was convinced. He had told her and Starfire that he felt that the man…what was his name?...Galtry would come back. And he had. When they had left him alone, the criminal had come back and taken him.

Starfire watched the computer over Robin's shoulder. Her eyes were concentrated on the screen as images flashed and disappeared. She noticed the map of the city remained in the background as Robin scanned every possible file he could pull up that would shed even a pinpoint of light on the changeling's whereabouts. And as he typed furiously, she watched. Where could her friend be?

Robin's fingers flew as he pulled up file after file on Nicholas Galtry. His mind raced as he dug up classified information on the scientist Samuel Register. His heart raced as his searches came up empty. Large yellow dots slowly vanished as he ruled out places where Beast Boy certainly wouldn't be. At the moment, only three dots remained. One stood for an empty building with a large concrete and metal basement where experiments on stray animals used to be conducted. One represented a sewer pipe that opened up into a large room where the water would collect and drain into the bay. The last marked an old train station on the outskirt of the area that had been empty for the past four years and was slowly caving in on itself. None were very promising.

"This is taking too long!" Cyborg finally burst, his fist slamming down on the coffee table. "I'm going to go look for him." In an act of either defiance or a futile attempt at a rescue, Cyborg grabbed the keys to the T-Car off of the counter and stormed for the door.

"Do you really think you will find him?" Raven's unsteady yet monotone voice rang out.

Cyborg's body slouched. "No, but I can't just sit here and do nothing. I have to try."

Starfire turned to face him, her eyes red from fresh tears. "May I come with you, friend? I could fly in another direction." Her voice was desperate, pleading.

"Of course." Without another word, he turned and left, Starfire following him closely.

Raven looked at Robin with an empty stare. "Should we go with them?"

"I don't know what else to do, Raven. He doesn't have his communicator, his tracker has been ripped out of him…there's no way to trace him."

"I know. But is that really a good enough excuse to give up?"

"No."

The two were out the door in moments, Raven still tuning for his emotions, and Robin repeating the hot spots in his mind. He could check those first on the R-Cycle. They couldn't give up, though. He wouldn't allow it. He had only given up once, that he could remember. And that wouldn't happen again.

* * *

"So, how does Galtry come into all of this?" Beast Boy questioned, trying to distract Register from his wrists. 

"Enough talk." The scientist scolded. "You've changed a lot since we last met. Aren't you still scared of me?" His tone was sharp and mocking. His voice raised and lowered in a sort of sing-song voice, as it often did when he was getting a bit high on arrogance.

"Terrified." Though it was the truth, the changeling made sure it sounded equally mocking. After all, he was a Titan now. He could handle this guy, just watch.

Without giving Register another say in the matter, Beast Boy jolted upwards from his seat, his torso and ankles held firm in place, but his fist delivering a harsh punch to Samuel's nose. Bone met bone, and blood met flesh. The green teenager couldn't help but cringe a bit. The hit hadn't felt firm, as he thought it might. Instead, the man's nose had broken instantly, feeling more like a toy bug in one of those weird, squishy tube things that slide through your hand when you hold it. It wasn't as satisfying a punch as he had hoped, but the stunned scream from the torturer was priceless.

"You son of a bitch!" He bellowed, his hand clutching his nose already covered in blood.

Beast Boy laughed a bit as one hand fiddled with the buckle on his waist and ankles and the other fended the man off. Satisfied that the strap over his waist was undone, he took another swing at Samuel. But this time, he was stopped. The scientist's free hand reached out and blocked Beast Boy, grabbing his fist and bending it backwards. The green boy yelped in surprise and pain, lowering his body to keep his wrist from snapping. He dealt a punch to the man's stomach, which relieved the pressure on his joint. Using his newly freed hand, he unlatched his ankles and leapt from the table.

"Sorry I can't stay, but I've got friends who are probably looking for me." Beast Boy gave a salute, and spun on his heel in a mad dash for the door.

The much taller man tackled him, smashing the adolescent to the floor with a sickening crack. Now, both men had broken noses. The changeling elbowed his attacker in the ribs, but the man didn't give. Struggling, the two rolled over with Beast Boy now on top and Samuel now on the bottom. The teen stood up, bracing himself for another attack. His fists were held in a boxing position, a smirk playing on his lips.

"That all you got, Sammy old boy?" Beast Boy scoffed, jumping around the room hyped and ready for battle.

"You idiot." Register gave his own smirk. "You did notice that little needle in your arm, didn't you?"

In truth, Beast Boy had not. With his adrenaline pumping, he wouldn't have felt pain if the Spanish Armada pelted him with bullets. His eyes drifted to his shoulder, where a small needle was sticking out. The syringe was still rolling on the floor, freshly snapped off. As Beast Boy looked at the empty plastic container swaying back and forth, his legs gave out. He sunk to his knees, still transfixed by the small movement of the hypodermic needle. Its path was the same, back and forth, though the length steadily grew shorter. After what seemed like minutes, though was probably less than three seconds, it halted its movement all together. With its cease in activity, the changeling crumpled to the cool, concrete base of the room, his broken nose again making contact with it. He wanted to yelp in pain, but all that came out was a soft moan.

The man laughed. "Like my new experiment? It's a cross between Vecuronium, Succinylcholine, and a few other paralytics and chemicals. It paralyzes the muscles in your body, and weakens all of your organs, including your heart. Too much of it, and you'll die within minutes.

"Now, I've given you a small dose, which will keep you quiet and immobile for about three hours. However, during your stay with me, I will have one of my guards give you a larger dose every five hours. Now, usually, that amount of this little medication would kill a normal person. But not you. Your unique biology fights this medicine enough to keep you alive, but just barely. The only time I will let you off of this potion is when I am performing my experiments. We have to monitor your pain tolerance, after all." Samuel gave a wicked grin. "Welcome to Hell, Logan."

Beast Boy let out a small growl, barely audible. He tried to move, but he couldn't. Even breathing had become trivial. His diaphragm struggled to perform its job of giving his lungs room to expand. It hurt to breath, it hurt to think, it hurt to do anything he needed to survive. The distant thought that had slowly made itself visible in his mind when he was first drugged by who was probably Galtry finally made itself a reality. He was going to die here, or die getting out. The Titans would never find him in time, and even if they did, Beast Boy was sure that Register would give him the lethal dose before they could reach him. He was sure that the last thing he would ever see would be this room, and this man.

"Because of your little escapade, I have to wait three hours to perform my studies, so I'll leave you here to think things through."

Beast Boy felt himself being lifted. His vision was all but gone, everything blurring together in a dark yet blinding array of fuzzy colors. The cool, solid texture of his metal bed brushed his side, and he was plopped ungracefully onto his back. Though it was almost impossible to feel them, he knew the straps were being replaced, and tightened. The changeling was sure that they were cutting into his skin, and that it would definitely hurt later on. But that was all he had to look forward to now: pain.

Moments later, he could hear the dull, muffled sound of a door opening. The nearly inaudible sound of Samuel Register's voice bidding him one last farewell barely made its way to his eardrums, but there were no words to him. Just an almost-dreamlike sound, like the sound of a large crowd of people talking. He knew there were words to the buzz, but all he could hear were grating thumps of sound.

* * *

"Any sign of him?" Cyborg spoke into his communicator. 

"None." Raven's voice answered.

"Nor here." Starfire replied.

"Or here." Robin sounded angry, as he always did.

All efforts had been in vain. Cyborg had searched every street in the city twice, some more than that. Starfire had asked probably half the citizens in Jump if they had seen or heard of Beast Boy's whereabouts. Raven had swept from one end of the city to the other and beyond, with no hint of her green friend. She had detected something about thirty miles off of the outskirt of the city a few moments ago…just a small twinge of pain. But, once she had investigated it, there had been nothing. Just a strangely empty void. Robin had searched all three dots on the map several times over, looking through every box, every crevice he could find. The jokester was nowhere to be found.

* * *

**Author's Note: So, how was it? Like my little concoction I made for Register? I haven't made it myself, and I'm sure that it would kill anyone who had it injected into them, but after twenty minute****s of research on paralytics both medical and natural, I couldn't resist making my own. So, please review, and I'm sorry this is so short.**


	6. Pain

**Author's Note: If you have been reading my oneshot gathering Muhaha, then I apologize for the very strange and long randomness of the most recent chapter, and for putting the world's longest two jokes into one chapter. I just couldn't resist. For those of you who don't read it, ignore all of thee above.**

**Disclaimer: There is a reason it is called FAN FICTION people. I am a fan, not the owner**

**Poll: What is the strangest pairing you have ever heard of?**

* * *

Chapter 6

Pain

* * *

Slowly, the teenager could feel his body coming back to him. First, it was the dull, almost mystical touch of pain. It was soft, like a mother's finger gently caressing his nose and not knowing that her nail was scraping against his skin and her ring was hung up in his nostril. It was annoying, and startling. Then there was the gentle throb of where the needle had entered his skin. Though he could not yet move his head to check, he was sure it was bruised. 

As the pain grew stronger, he could feel the other areas of his body joining the clan. His fingers and toes were first. A tingling sensation ripped through them, which he figured was caused by the blockage of blood flow from the tightened wire straps. Then, the sensations wriggled up his legs and down arms. They didn't feel like heavy stumps, as he had expected they would. It was more of a Frankenstein feeling, like some body parts were too big for his body, and others were too small.

Following his limbs came the wary touch of his abdomen. It writhed with sudden feeling, his muscles spazzing slightly as though there were tiny bugs trying to escape through his skin. Think The Mummy and those little Scarab creatures. As his six-pack wiggled with mini seizures-or so it seemed to be-his chest contracted, squeezing his lungs and making it still harder to breath. His diaphragm, though now partly functional, seemed to shrink. Though his stomach moved with its workings, it never seemed to be enough room for his lungs to expand.

Finally, he could feel his face. Gratefully, his tongue slinked out and licked his oh-so-dry lips. They tasted dry and sticky, as though he had been asleep for hours. He needed something to drink. Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth and tried to speak, tried to call to Register to give him some water. He knew he wouldn't get any…either Register would think it a trap, or he would come in and begin his little experiment because he knew Beast Boy could feel pain again.

But, instead of the expected (and now regretted) sound of him yelling, all that escaped past his dry lips was a soft moan, almost a whisper. _Great. _He thought. _I can move…sort of…yet I can't say anything. Oh well, at least that will give me some time to… _His plans were interrupted by the entrance of…who else?...Samuel Register. Beast Boy sat still, not wanting to attract the attention of the vulture.

"Well, it's been three hours. Time to start our little project." The man hissed.

He wore a black flannel shirt and denim pants, certainly no outfit Beast Boy would have expected of a man about to dissect something. But hey, at least it wasn't white. As long as it wasn't a horrid white, the changeling could stand it.

The green Titan wriggled in his "bed" a bit, trying pathetically to escape from his metal prison. All that got him were deeper cuts in his wrists. He could feel the blood trickle down his arms in small rivers, a small glimpse into what was bound to happen to the rest of his body. He was going to be gutted like a fish, he knew that. And there was no hope of stopping it.

Register smiled cruelly as he watched his specimen squirm. It had cost him a lot to get Galtry to give him the changeling. Nicholas was one man who trusted no one, much like Samuel. Both men had a certain loathing towards the changeling. He had outsmarted them both once, but it would never happen again. The scientist would make sure of it.

"Now, I would explain the procedure to you, but I find that rather useless. You will find out anyway. Now, if you don't want me to slice open a major organ on accident, I suggest you hold still."

_On accident? Great. _Beast Boy tensed his muscles as the scalpel moved closer to his stomach, which happened to be still clothed. With a small roll of his eyes, the adult traded the scalpel for scissors, cutting off the top half of Beast Boy's uniform. It was ripped off sharply, tugging at the area of his wrists that had dried blood attaching the spandex to the boy's skin. The half-animal yelped in agony, and watched as fresh blood slid down his wrists.

His concentration was quickly pulled to his stomach, however, as the knife-like tool touched his skin. It was cool, and frighteningly dull. A flash of the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves passed through Beast Boy's mind as he thought about the pain he was going to feel.

"_I'm gonna cut your heart out with a spoon!"_

"_Why a spoon, cousin? Why not an axe?"_

"_Because it's dull, you twit. It'll hurt more."_

Indeed, this would hurt more than a regular scalpel. Especially since he was no longer drugged. As the dull tip of the tool dug into his skin, Beast Boy whimpered. It seemed to take forever, the cutting. But eventually, it was done. A slice, several centimeters thick, trickled blood from his abdomen. The man laughed as he dragged the scalpel horizontally, creating a deep, long slash. The green teen screamed in agony, his back arching slightly, all cares about his major organs forgotten. He had to escape the pain. His body couldn't take it. He felt the metal pick through his muscles as it backtracked about halfway, and was pushed upwards towards Beast Boy's rib cage. By now, both he and the scientist were drenched in his blood. As the boy slipped into a torturous unconsciousness, he couldn't help but think _if I ever get a sex change and get pregnant, I am _not _getting a C-Section. _

Raven was splayed over her bed, contemplating all possible paths to take. She could waste her life searching for her lost friend with the probably false hope of finding him, no matter the odds. She could just lie here forever, forgetting he ever existed, forgetting the pain he was probably feeling, forgetting his probable death. Or she could wait. Wait for a sign from him, for a spike in his emotions, and pray he was within range of her.

The sign came sooner than she thought. Not three seconds after she decided to just rest for a moment and decide later, immense pain filled her body. It split through her mind, and ravaged her body. She screamed. Her back curled into the fetal position as her hands clutched her temples. And then, just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. Panting and sweating, Raven rose from her bed. Her hand clutched her dresser for balance, and she staggered to her feet. As she was regaining her equilibrium, her door slammed open, revealing three tense Titans.

"Raven, you screamed, what's wrong?" Robin demanded.

"It's Beast Boy. Something's happening to him." She spoke softly, still shocked from the pain.

"Where is our friend?" Starfire asked, hopeful.

"I don't know…he's not too far from here, but I don't know where he is exactly." The empath replied slowly.

People had always thought that her powers worked like a spotlight. She felt something, and she knew exactly where it was. In some cases, that was true. But when it was something like this, sharp, quick, startling, and taken off guard, she couldn't locate it. By experiencing his mental spike as he was inflicted with the pain proved to her that Beast Boy was within her telepathic range. But other than that, it showed nothing.

"But he's close?" Cyborg asked her.

Raven nodded.

"Alright, I will look at places we missed on the map, and look farther outside the city. Cyborg, you patrol in the T-Car. Search for anything suspicious. Starfire, you fly ahead of him, and look for any warehouses or buildings that look like they could be leads. Raven, try and locate him with your powers." Without another word, Robin took off towards the Common Room, and the computer.

Cyborg nodded towards Raven, why she didn't know, and left. Starfire too held back long enough to give her a sidelong glance and a "wish of the luck of the good", before she left to fulfill her mission. And Raven was left alone. Left to interpret her experience and to search for anything left over.

She dug through the visions that had plagued her, trying to find anything that would indicate a specific location. She remembered a shadowy man, a dark room, and blood. So much blood. But that had been it. And none of it was helpful. The face of the man was completely shadowed, and he wore a black outfit and what had looked like jeans, but the half-demon couldn't be sure. As she groped for answers, the blood kept seeping into her mind. It had been everywhere, and that was far from a good sign.

* * *

Beast Boy shivered uncontrollably. It was so cold. His mind drifted as he faded in and out of consciousness. He could feel the blood still seeping through the fresh bandage on his chest. Though his eyes were closed, he could see his breath wafting above him in short puffs. Pain slithered through him, radiating from his midsection like a newborn star. It was so strong, so horrible. Why didn't someone come to stop it? Why didn't someone end the pain, end the misery? He wanted his life to end, and he knew that it would only get worse. This was just the tip of the iceberg. There was so much more that would destroy him, that would make him sink, that would slowly but surely kill him. And it was the 'slowly' part that scared him. He wasn't afraid to die. He wished he was dead. Now. But there was no hope of that. Register needed him, and wouldn't let his subject die if he had a say in it. 

Where were his friends? Why hadn't they found him yet? Surely Raven could locate him…he had been all but screaming his fear and worry, couldn't she detect that kind of stuff? He was scared. He needed her. And she wasn't there. She was probably still at the Tower, meditating in her room. And everyone else was probably doing their own thing too. Starfire was probably cooking. Cyborg was probably tuning his baby. And Robin was probably training. Beast Boy hoped he was wrong. He hoped they were searching for him. But something at the back of his mind was nagging at him, telling him they didn't care.

But he didn't believe it. They did care. He had seen the worry and protective looks in their eyes when he tried to escape. He had seen the shame when Cyborg had to dose him. He had seen how upset the girls were when he told them tidbits of his past. They did care, and they were searching. It was just taking awhile.

"Are we awake?" An all-too-familiar voice crept towards him.

"The brilliant scientist can't even tell when his specimen is conscious or not?" Beast Boy spat.

He winced with the sting of talking. The pain increased, and his now open eyes saw the blood on the bandage turn darker. Samuel, a fuzzy blur of malevolence, walked towards him, that wicked grin plastered to his face. The changeling was sure it was painted on. No one could smile that long at someone's misery.

"I would like for you to meet someone." The man stated, still smiling.

His hand motioned outward, gesturing for the newcomer to come forth. From the shadows, stepped another man, this one slightly shorter than Samuel Register. His dirty blonde hair was cut respectively short, and seemed to be thinning out in the front. He had a slim build, yet not too slim. He was wearing a grey shirt and black pants, and looked as if he had just returned from a successful business meeting. Who knew? Perhaps he had. His deep blue eyes pierced through the darkness, glaring at Beast Boy. This man wanted nothing more than to see the boy on the table dead. And everyone in the room knew it.

Beast Boy recoiled, forgetting the pain in his stomach for a moment. He began to shiver, no longer able to keep his cool. He didn't fear this man as much as Register, but seeing them both at once was the most terrifying thing the young boy could think of. He would take anything but this. He would go anywhere, and do anything, just to get the two insane killers out of his sight. He was in serious trouble.

"Garfield Logan." The blonde had a business-like tone to his voice. "It's been so long. How are you? Still rich, I hope."

"Galtry." Beast Boy barely managed to say. The pain had returned, and that along with the fear he was feeling was enough to knock him out.

But sadly, it didn't. He remained awake, nearly crying when the embezzler's finger brushed the side of his face. Both men were grinning now. Horrid, deadly grins. They were going to kill him. But they weren't going to be quick about it. Both men wanted him dead, yes, but both men wanted to see him suffer as well. He had destroyed both men's' plans in the past, and they weren't going to let it happen again.

"Now Doctor," Nicholas looked to the taller man, an interested look gleaming in his eyes. "I was wondering if you would demonstrate a little bit of what you do down here."

"Certainly." His voice held a mocking, theatrical tune, and he laughed.

The man in the black shirt turned around, and Beast Boy was sure he was going to get that godforsaken scalpel again. But instead of staying where he was, he moved to the wall farthest from the teenager and the three beds. The changeling trembled as Nicholas ripped the restraints away from Beast Boy's flesh, making sure not to be gentle in any aspect of the word. The green teen felt himself being lifted and set on the spring-filled, mattress-less bed next to where he was a moment before.

"I have waited a long time for this, my little green friend." Galtry said slyly.

_Ugh, star wars puns. _Beast Boy moaned within himself. Out of all the nicknames he had been called, there were three he despised most. Barney, Kermit, and Yoda. He hated them with the burning passion of a thousand red hot suns, and then some. Yoda he didn't mind as much, but still hated. After all, who doesn't like the Star Wars movies? But even so, being compared to the tiny (though kick-ass) Jedi got annoying fast.

Beast Boy struggled against the lawyer as he was restrained with those same freaking wires. His eyes flicked to Register, who was currently digging in a box. After another second of his relentless searching, he found what he was apparently looking for. A small metal box with a dial that resembled one of those machines someone would use to measure electrical currents in a wire in a car. He knew all too well what was about to happen. They were going to electrocute him.

* * *

**Author's Note: Just one thing, you might think that, while Beast Boy is being tortured, it is stupid for me to say he thought about having a sex change and getting pregnant. I just wanted to let you know that, from a first hand experience, when you are in intense, unbearable pain, you think the strangest things. I won't give you the details, but when I broke my collar bone and saw it sticking out of my neck (sorry for the details), I thought about the Headless Horseman and how maybe his collar bone stuck out when he lost his head and how I didn't want to become the Headless Horseman. So yah, you think weird things when you are in pain.**


	7. So Close Yet So Far Away

**Author's Note: Wow, I'm just whipping these chapters out, aren't I? lol. Oh, and I am going to start putting my sister's and my response to the previous poll on the chapters. Hopefully that will encourage people to answer them.**

**Disclaimer: I am sad to say that I am out of witty responses to this, so I will just straight out say I don't own them**

**Poll: Who is your least favorite Titan out of the original 5?**

**Previous Poll:**

**Me: Robin/Slade. In no way, shape, or form do they or can they like each other. What the flip?**

**Raven's Secret: BB/Aqualad. No pun intended, but that relationship is so gay.**

* * *

Chapter 7

So Close, So Far Away

* * *

Raven hovered above the ground, deep in meditation. There had been no sign of Beast Boy for a good two hours, which either meant he was unconscious, dead (she dare not think of that, however), drugged, or too far away for her to sense. None of those were good for the Titans. But the empath refused to give up. While her emotions went haywire inside Nevermore, her powers groped to find their source of panic. He had to be around here somewhere… 

The half-demon fell to the floor with a thud, her concentration broken. A steady beeping sound erupted throughout the room, startling her. It took the teenager only a moment to realize it was her communicator, with its red light flashing. A dainty hand picked up the device, pressing the Display button. A picture of Cyborg appeared, and he looked hopeful.

"What is it?" She asked quietly.

"I found a warehouse about thirty five miles from the city. It's deserted, but my sensors tell me that there is a basement deep underground, and that there are three people down there." His voice was nearly a squeal as he delivered the good news.

Raven didn't answer. Her powers consumed her, and, in the form of a raven, swept her to Cyborg's side. As he had said, about thirty feet away was a run down building, its roof caved in and metal sides covered in graffiti. The empath chanted her mantra, focusing on the emotions of the people about 300 yards beneath them. Two of the people she didn't recognize, but one of them she would know anywhere. It was Beast Boy.

* * *

"C-can't we t-talk about this?" The changeling stuttered as he was tied tightly against the springs. 

One particular coil was digging deep into his back. It had already cut through his skin and was slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the fleshy area between his ribs. Suffice to say, it hurt like Hell. The boy wriggled a bit, trying to free himself of the pain the metal was bringing him. No such luck. The spring only dug deeper, grating against his sixth rib. Or was it seventh? What did it matter? Either way, it wasn't fun.

"Shut up." All glee had vanished from Galtry's eyes as Register fiddled with the remote. "What is going on?" He demanded.

"This damn thing won't turn…oh, there we go." The small box made a small humming sound as various switches lit up. "Now, let's start with setting 5 and go from there."

The green hostage felt a cool tear slide down his cheek. They weren't going to kill him. They were going to torture him to no end, and there was no one to save him. But maybe…maybe if he could slide his wrists just the right way, the wires could slice his veins. Then, he wouldn't have to deal with the torture. He would be free, free of the two monsters standing next to him. Free of the pain they were about to inflict. Free of the worry of what would happen to him later on. Free of…

A jolt of electricity coursed through his body. His muscles contracted, nearly ripping themselves from the bone. His back arched, his limbs jerked uncontrollably, his mind went numb. The wire straps sliced through his tendons, cartilage, and muscle, finally scraping against his wrist and ankle bones. His tongue felt like a balloon, his lips felt like they had been ripped from his face, each toe and finger felt as if it's nail had been plucked out one at a time. Maybe he would die.

* * *

Raven screamed and fell to the ground, a fresh wave of pain overcoming her. She writhed on the ground, trying to escape the torture. They had to get to Beast Boy. Both of their lives depended on it now. Her body went numb as she moaned with pain. Faintly, she could hear Cyborg screaming for her. Her mind registered his touch on her shoulder, and she saw him roll her over. He was calling to her, but she couldn't answer. The pain was too great. But, as if it were a repeat of the 'attack' before, it vanished just as quickly as it had come. Raven stood up, her legs rubbery. 

"My God, Raven. What happened?" Cyborg demanded, clearly frightened.

"They're killing him." She informed him, near tears. "We have to get inside there."

"We can't." He admitted.

"What do you mean _we can't_?" The empath's voice was rising, and rocks surrounding them were imploding, covered with a black energy.

Cyborg recoiled slightly, fumbling for an explanation. "There's some kind of field around the building. Someone put it up to either keep Beast Boy in, or keep us out."

"Or both." Raven said sullenly.

There was nothing they could do to get inside. Beast Boy was going to die, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. They were going to kill him, and Raven would have to feel his pain. Or, at least part of it.

"Where are the others?" She asked, numb.

"They're on their way." Cyborg stared at his arm, small bleeps emitting from it every now and again.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not giving up on him. There has to be some way to get down there. Some way to turn that damn shield off."

Raven watched him fiddle with the touch pad on his arm. He was right. The men had to come out sometime, which meant they had to turn off the force field sometime. But how? Where was the switch?

* * *

Beast Boy muttered something under his breath. His body was smoking slightly, his hair singed. And that was only the first shock out of possibly dozens, maybe even hundreds if he was unlucky enough. It seemed to him he had always been unlucky. At five he had been cursed with this damning disease. At seven he had watched as his parents fell to their deaths, and did nothing about it. At eight, Nicholas Galtry tried to have him killed. At eight and a half Samuel Register had kidnapped him and performed experiments on him. At ten he had finally reached America, only to become a thief, enslaved by those two horrible men. At eleven he had been adopted by Rita and Steve, only to run away from the Doom Patrol at thirteen. At fourteen, he finally thought he had found a home with the Titans, when at sixteen he had yet again been kidnapped by Samuel Register. Could life get any worse? 

"Wow…that was cool." Nicholas Galtry said dumbly. It was rare he said anything that wasn't…intelligent in sound.

"Yes, it was 'cool'. But I have more tests to conduct. Apparently shocking him is too dangerous in his current condition. We need to try something more effective and less deadly."

Mumbling to himself, Register made his way over to a corner piled high with boxes. He set the top one off to the side, and opened up the second one. The sound of metal striking plastic and metal striking metal echoed through the room. Finally, he pulled out what looked to be a miniature briefcase. He smiled to himself, and opened it up. His eyes looked fondly at the objects inside, and he marched over to the table.

"Put him back on the center one." He commanded.

Galtry, mumbling, did as he asked, making sure not to get blood on his outfit. Beast Boy didn't care. He was in too much pain to care. His wrists and ankles were sliced beyond recognition, he was sure. The cut on his chest had yet again begun to spurt fresh blood. His body had literally been fried to nearly the point of becoming a fish stick. That was it! He could morph! Cyborg's meds couldn't have lasted that long, could they?

As he braced himself for changing, he felt a needle slide into his jugular. Well, so much for that idea. Pain rippled through his body, making him convulse. What else was new? It only lasted a moment, however, and the changeling knew that for the next Lord knew how long, he was no longer a changeling. He didn't know how he knew, something just told him that he couldn't change. Again.

"Now that his powers are again disabled…"

Beast Boy thought for a moment. Wait, _again_? Did this mean he could morph the whole time? Wow he was an idiot.

"…we can continue with the 'treatment'."

Another needle slid into the green Titan's jugular, but for once, Beast Boy felt no pain. In fact, he felt a little giddy. That was a sure sign of trouble. As he drifted into a fitful sleep, he heard Register tell Galtry to "watch this". Definitely a sign of trouble.

But he had no time to worry, for he was finally asleep. Or…was he? Vague memories (or were they memories?) swam in his mind. Visions of Raven falling through the roof followed by Cyborg, his sonic cannon firing all over the place. Samuel Register and Nicholas Galtry lay dead at the foot of the table, and he could feel Raven's powers healing his shredded joints. Cyborg was joking with him about how he needed to find a better crowd to hang out with, and suddenly, Starfire was giving him a giant hug. Wait…where had she come from? Oh well. All they needed now was Robin. But, he was nowhere to be found. Beast Boy tried to ask where the Boy Blunder had run off to, but he couldn't speak. He could move his mouth, he could produce sound, but he couldn't form the words. The changeling began to panic. He gesticulated vehemently, but to no avail. Cyborg laughed at him, saying what a prankster he was. Raven rolled her eyes at his antics. Starfire giggled at his wonderful mimicry of the Dance of Slorkva, and Robin was still missing, the bastard.

* * *

Starfire flew towards the pair, her eyes filled with hope. "Friends, we have found Beast Boy, have we not?" 

"We have Star." Cyborg said, the stress of trying to get the field down and the worry over their friend's health clear in his vocal patterns.

"But…" She pressed him to continue.

"But…we can't get to him. There's some kind of energy field around the building that none of us can penetrate. It's…hey…where's Robin?" Cyborg noticed.

"He informed me that he would be arriving shortly." Starfire filled them in.

Cyborg nodded and turned back to his arm.

"How long do you think it will take you to figure it out?" Raven interrogated him.

"I don't know. If we're lucky, a few hours. If we're not…a few days."

"A few days?!" A large boulder that had been resting nearby was now a pile of dust. "What do you mean a few days? It can't be that hard to hack."

"You want to do it? Fine, go ahead. But it's not as easy as it looks, Raven!" Cyborg scolded. His muscles relaxed, and he let out an uneasy breath. "I'm sorry, Rae. I'm doing my best. I want to get to Beast Boy as much as you do."

"No, you don't." She whispered.

"What?"

"I said 'I know you do', and I'm sorry too."

Cyborg nodded, and again continued what he was doing. Starfire paced nervously, giving him a sidelong glance every few seconds. Time couldn't go any slower for the three, right now.

* * *

Beast Boy tried to roll over, but a sharp pain in his arm stopped the movement. He was still tied up. Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire were nowhere to be found. The marks on his joints remained, the slash on his chest and abdomen were still in existence, and the pain was worse than ever before. No longer was it a knife constantly digging into him. Now it was several knives cutting him, along with a few tasers, a few hypodermic needles, and a piece of broken glass here and there. It had all been a hallucination. Galtry and Register were staring at him, obviously not dead, and obviously amused. His misery was far from ended.

* * *

**Author's Note: There's chapter 7 for you! And the torture continues. Muhaha!**


	8. Problem Children

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. Stupid technology…can't work when you need it to.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own them**

**Poll: What is your favorite episode of Teen Titans?**

**Previous Poll:**

Me: Robin. He's a bastard, I'm sorry to say.

* * *

Chapter 8

Problem Children

* * *

Beast Boy sighed. What was taking his friends so long? Surely Raven could detect him with her empathy. Surely Cyborg could track him using some high tech mumbo jumbo crap. Surely Robin had some gadget that could locate his position. But as far as he knew, they hadn't… 

A siren buzzed, startling the changeling. He glanced around frantically, wondering if it had anything to do with him. He saw the silhouettes of two men running past the window…Register and Galtry he assumed. An air vent rested above him, and through it he could hear them talking.

"They're here for him." Beast Boy could make out Galtry's voice.

"You think?" Samuel was obviously annoyed. "Oh well. They can't get through the security screen."

"What about the half-demon? Can't she teleport?" Clearly Nicholas had been reading up on the Titans' capabilities.

"I thought of that same problem, so I got a little help on that subject from a man called Brother Blood." He smirked.

"You mean the criminal that hypnotized teenage meta-humans to do his bidding?" Nicholas was immediately interested.

"The very same. From what I hear, he has a little grudge against Garfield's friend Cyborg, and offered me a high price for him." Register laughed. Beast Boy growled.

"Well, let's give him to him then." Galtry joined the laughter, but only momentarily.

Beast Boy strained to listen, but sound no longer reached him. He tried to look through the window, but saw no one. Giving up, his muscles relaxed and he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Raven chanted her mantra as Cyborg continued hacking. Starfire spun in the air in a hovering pace, her hands behind her back and fingers intertwining. Robin still had not shown up. They had been sitting outside of the dilapidated building for nearly an hour, and he still had not arrived. With a groan of annoyance, Raven flipped open her communicator. 

"Raven to Robin." She said curtly into the device.

"Robin here. Have you gotten to Beast Boy yet?" He asked, apparently oblivious.

"If you were here, you would know." It took all of her energy to keep from screaming at him.

"I'm busy."

"Doing what?!" Her self control all but gone, Raven destroyed what was left of the boulders in the area. Well, so much for staying calm.

Robin glared at her. "I'm trying to find out what we are up against."

Raven's com device was engulfed in her energy, and it was crushed. With a jolt of her arm, she grabbed Starfire's and flipped it back open. Softly chanting her spell words, she called down enough to safely call Robin.

"What do you mean 'what we are up against'? Beast Boy is trapped down there with 'what we are up against'. We need to get to him as soon as possible, and get him out quickly and safely. And we need you to do that. So my question is…where the Hell are you?"

A tear trickled down Raven's cheek, but was quickly wiped away with the back of her hand. This was her Beast Boy they were talking about, not some hostage, or some robber. Beast Boy. He was dying down there, and they needed to get to him…now. They couldn't wait around for Robin to 'research' what they were up against. Whatever it was, it was killing Beast Boy, and they were running out of time.

"Raven, you need to calm down." Robin was bold enough to command.

Another communicator exploded. The empath turned to face Cyborg, her eyes fading from the red color they had changed to back to their normal amethyst. She breathed in deeply, and walked over to the cybernetic teenager.

"Anything yet?" She asked, hopeful.

"I'm sorry, Rae. I'm no closer to getting through than when I first started. This code is hard to crack. They have to have the latest technology on this crummy building. One that was created like…five seconds ago. I've never seen technology like this." Cyborg looked at her apologetically, and went back to work.

* * *

A moan emitted from the green teenager, who was still strapped to the table. His hands were flipped over, so that the wires were cutting into the back of his wrist rather than where the veins were. Well, so much for that plan. Beast Boy, still not fully awake, tried to morph. A wave of pain radiated through his body, though dulled. 

Wincing, he struggled to view his surroundings. He was in the same room, the equipment was still piled high in the corners, and the one light overhead was still off. But Register and Galtry were nowhere to be found. He listened carefully, but heard nothing. The changeling sighed. It was hopeless, he knew. His friends wouldn't be able to get to him in time, and even if they did, Register would either kill the green boy or hunt him down another day.

The teen lay on the table quietly, waiting for the day's tortures. He knew Raven and the others were above him, and that comforted him a bit. He knew they were trying to get to him, and that they wouldn't give up. And as long as they were there, he knew that he would be okay.

Register slammed open the door, its thick metal frame connecting with the metal of the wall loudly. He was either very pleased or very pissed. It was hard to tell with him. His eyes were piercing as he lifted the vile of soft yellow liquid. A syringe on the table next to Beast Boy was injected into the vile, and was loaded with the fluid.

"Galtry!" Samuel called through the door.

A seemingly exhausted lawyer rushed into the room, combing his hair. He looked at the medication quizzically, questioningly. Galtry grinned malevolently, and reached to inject it in Beast Boy's jugular. The teenager turned his head sharply, trying to bite the hand that came near him. Hey, if it would keep the stuff from getting into him any sooner, he would try anything. However, when he turned his head, he exposed the other side of his neck. Register motioned to Galtry, who held Beast Boy's cranium still while the hallucinogen was injected.

"Now that will last for about a week, but will seem like two for him." Beast Boy struggled to breathe as he listened.

"What do you mean?" Nicholas was asking the question.

"What I mean is, that hallucinogen is strong enough to last a week. However, time will seem to move differently for him, and it will seem to him like two weeks have passed before the drug wears off. It's my own creation, as is everything else in here."

"Very clever." The embezzler commented.

"Very clever indeed."

Beast Boy braced himself for the trickery that was soon to come. His eyelids grew heavy, and his body slumped. The pain subsided to a low roar, and he could feel his heart steady itself. As the familiar feeling of excitement overwhelmed him, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

"Where is Robin, damnit?" Cyborg grumbled as he continued working. 

"I shall call him, friend Cyborg." Starfire offered. A sidelong glance was passed to Raven, who was currently meditating.

"Alright."

The only communicator that wasn't in thirty pieces on the ground was handed to the alien. She flipped it open, and called for Robin. When all she got was static, she tried again. Finally, he answered.

"Yah, Star?" He sounded stressed.

"Where are you, Robin?" She asked, worried.

"I'm on my way."

"But how can you be on your way when you are at the Tower?" The kitchen in the background was obvious to her, and Starfire was beginning to grow angry. Why was he lying to her?

"I was just heading out." To prove his point, Robin left the Common area and walked towards the garage, where his motorcycle was stored.

"Please hurry." She insisted.

"How's Cyborg coming along?" He asked, trying to pass the time as he made his way towards his destination.

"He is still trying to get in." She explained.

"Alright. I'll be there in a few minutes." Robin cut the transmission.

As promised, fifteen minutes later, Robin had arrived. Starfire grinned and squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. As he groped to breathe, Raven looked at him with one eye and continued to meditate. Cyborg didn't acknowledge his presence at all.

"Hey." Robin said after Starfire had released him. He held a hand up, and walked over to the robotic teenager. "How are we doing?"

"_I _am almost through." The black teen growled. He turned his head to face the empath. "Raven, I'm going to need your help here. I think I can get the force field open for a few seconds…just enough time to get two of us through. That will have to be you and me."

"Why you two?" Robin protested.

"Because Raven and I will be able to take care of the two guys down there quickly, Raven can heal any life-threatening damage, and I will need to look at him immediately to see how bad off the little guy is." He explained sternly. "Once the men are taken care of, I will try and open the shield the rest of the way so you and Star can get in."

Robin and Starfire nodded. Raven stood, ready to do her job. Cyborg coded a few more things into his arm, and a small gap in the shield appeared. Cyborg yelled for Raven to go, and she complied without hesitation. The tallest Titan followed quickly after, and the shield was closed. Left behind, Starfire clung to Robin, tears streaming down her cheek.

"I fear for our friends." She admitted.

"Me too." Robin patted her on the back, holding her close.

* * *

Inside the building, it was dark. Raven could hear something fall. It sounded like a piece of metal. It was probably a piece of the wall of the room. She turned to where she figured Cyborg was, and waited for him to turn on a light. He did so, the beam coming from his shoulder. 

"Any idea where to go?" He asked.

Raven nodded, and began walking through the rubble. Rocks, metal, and glass were strewn everywhere. Dust covered everything, making Raven sneeze. The enclosure was small, but the door they walked through was huge. The portal was a thick metal…what Cyborg defined as an iron-carbon alloy with twenty one percent of chromium content, twice as much as in steel. But the half-demon didn't listen. She was intent on finding Beast Boy, who was just a few floors beneath them.

* * *

"Um…Register…" Beast Boy thought he heard Galtry speaking, but wasn't sure if that was part of the hallucination, or real life. 

"What now?" The scientist sounded annoyed.

"Two of the Titans have entered the building." The lawyer informed him.

Yep, it was definitely a hallucination. "Well, let's take care of them. Get our guards up there."

"But Samuel, do you really think three men will be enough to take on two Titans? From rumors I've heard, they've taken on hundreds of foes at once, easily."

"They were rumors, nothing more." Register insisted, though his voice wavered a bit.

Beast Boy wanted to laugh. He remembered those battles. The Brotherhood of Evil's robots, Slade bots, Billy Numerous and many more. Good times, good times. But, as far as he knew, those times were over. At least for him. But Raven and Cyborg were coming…

No, they weren't. He had to remember that all of this was a fake. None of it was real. His friends were still stuck outside, trying to get in. Which they probably never would. But he wouldn't give the two killers satisfaction. He would remain still. He wouldn't react to anything. If Raven and Cyborg found him, so be it. He wouldn't speak to them, he wouldn't look at them, nothing. No matter where his "two weeks" took him, he wouldn't react. He wouldn't fall for the tricks of the two men again.


	9. Rescuers

**Author's Note: Here's chapter 9, but it is far from the last chapter, I can promise you that. Wow, I can't believe it took 2 chapters for Raven and Cyborg to finally get in. Sweetness.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them**

**Poll: If you could change one thing about every Titan, what would it be?**

**Previous Poll:**

**Me: I would have to say The Beast Within. It personifies Beast Boy rather well, and there is a lot of RaeBB fluff**

**Raven's Secret: Titans Together. Beast Boy is kick-ass in that episode, and it shows his true skills**

* * *

Chapter 9

Rescuers

* * *

"Quiet." Raven held out her hand, suspicious. "Did you hear that?" 

Cyborg stopped in his tracks, listening carefully. The sound of rustling was just to their left, behind a large door that was locked. As he listened harder, the sound grew louder, and more like footsteps. He could place three specific people, headed right for them.

He turned to Raven, his sonic cannon ready to fire. He smirked, and she returned the look. Both watched the door carefully, waiting for the battle that was headed their way. With an explosive bang, the lock burst from the door, and three men charged in. They were clad in what seemed like Army attire, with camouflaged bullet proof vests and steel-toed boots. Their pants were a dark green mixed with a light brown, as were their shirts. All three simultaneously lifted their guns and opened fire. Raven let loose her energy, engulfing her and her friend in a small dome. She nodded towards Cyborg, and let down the shield long enough for him to return fire.

The man on the far right screamed, and was down, his gun draped over his chest and eyes closed. The remaining two narrowed their eyes and continued shooting, aiming at Cyborg's head. He felt his shoulder hit by a bullet, but didn't back off. With Raven by his side, he shot his cannon at the center man. The tall guard fell backwards, but immediately stood, cocking his gun. He smirked, obviously unaware of the large black hand coming up behind him. Both men were engulfed in Raven's powers, and when she released them, they were unconscious.

"Well, that was easier than expected." Cyborg joked.

"Did they really think three guards with guns would stop us?" Raven asked, seemingly bored.

* * *

Beast Boy sat still on his bed, half-listening to the conversation Galtry and Register were having in the room just outside of the mirror's range. They were mumbling things like "not enough guards", "I told you so", and "more firepower". He nearly laughed at their stupidity. Even if this were real, they still couldn't have beaten his friends. Especially Raven. She was far too strong for them to take on. 

"So tell me what that serum was really for." Nicholas asked the scientist. Beast Boy was listening intently, now interested.

"What do you mean?" Register questioned, sounding partly confused, partly astounded.

"I saw you create that medication you gave the Logan boy. You didn't use any of the hallucinogens you did in the previous concoction." His voice was tense.

"Very keen eye, you have there." Register laughed a bit. "It was just a mild sedative, with a little bit of hallucinogen material in it."

"Why did you say it would make him hallucinate for a week, or two weeks, or however long?"

"For one, because I wanted to watch him squirm for awhile like he did before. And I also wanted to do a test on how his mind reacts when told it would hallucinate for two weeks when that wasn't true. I want to monitor his behavior for the next two weeks to see if he suffers any hallucinations."

Beast Boy shook his head a bit, trying to clear the conversation from his mind. He didn't care what they said…he wouldn't listen. They wanted to watch him squirm. He would give them no such pleasure. This had to be part of the hallucination, he was sure. Though it sounded like an honest test, Register wasn't daft enough to tell Galtry that within earshot of the green Titan.

* * *

Raven and Cyborg tread the staircase that had been behind the locked door. Surely those guards had come from wherever Beast Boy was. At first, the stairwell had been dark, but as they got lower, a small pinpoint of light at the end grew larger, lighting the area. It was dank and chilly, obviously a side effect of it being so deep underground. The final steps were walked down carefully and quietly, making sure not to alert the two men that were down here. Cyborg unlatched his right hand, and it crawled around the corner, its mini camera pointed upward. It returned moments later, and Cyborg started up his cannon. 

"You ready?" He asked.

"Yes." Raven answered.

The pair charged the two men in the room. Sparks flew as equipment was destroyed. Raven circled the brown-haired man in a sphere of dark energy, her eyes glowed a brilliant white. She demanded to know where Beast Boy was. He merely grinned devilishly at her. Furious, the empath began to make the sphere shrink, crushing him. He screamed for mercy, and pointed down the hallway.

Cyborg pounded at the smaller, clean-cut man, also demanding their friend's location. His sonic cannon fired, missing by a purposeful mere couple of inches. The blonde he was battling pulled out a gun, and Cyborg couldn't help but laugh. The tin man raised his cannon and charged it, but didn't fire. He didn't need to. The shorter man dropped his gun and ran. He charged up the steps, screaming like a girl. Shrugging, Cyborg turned back to Raven.

"Know where the grass stain is?" He asked, his voice hopeful. Raven nodded and flew down the corridor.

Cyborg followed quickly after, turning his head to see the staircase as they ran by. The blonde man he had been combating was struggling to thrust open the door, glaring at the Titans with a ruined malevolence. The half-robot clenched his fists, silently promising to get back at the man and throw him in jail for life. Same with the brown-haired guy Raven had been fighting. The pair passed a giant glass window and Cyborg took a quick view through the glass. There was Beast Boy, in plain view. The top half of his uniform had been cut off, and what remained was shredded and burned. What scared the teen the most was, however, that he wasn't moving, and couldn't detect any breathing.

Raven apparently had noticed the same thing, for the glass was encased in a dark glow and shattered almost instantly. Cyborg took cover, and once all shrapnel had ceased its fall, jumped through the gap. Raven was far ahead of him, already at Beast Boy's side. He could hear her whispering to Beast Boy as she attempted to heal him.

* * *

_Swoosh back in time to Beast Boy's perspective_

Through the vent, he could hear Galtry and Register groan and complain about the failure of their guards. With a final "shit" from Samuel, he knew the battle was over. That was fast. Footsteps echoed through the room, the sound of something large coming down the stone stairs. Cyborg, certainly. Beast Boy wished the sound had been a real one, but he was comforted nonetheless. Sometime, hopefully soon, that sound would be real. He would be saved from this torturous paradise of a hallucination, and from this chamber of Hell all together. It was only a matter of time.

Though he couldn't see the figures on the stairwell, he could hear Cyborg grow closer, then fade. The sounds of clattering, sparks, and another scream reached the changeling, and he smiled a bit. Real or not, hearing his captivators have their butts kicked by his closest friends would always be amusing. As he closed his eyes to fall back asleep, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the room. One eye peaked open, seeing Raven setting down next to him. She looked terrified, but there was a bit of relief in her eyes. As her hands hovered over him, encased in a blue aura, she whispered encouragements.

"We're going to get you out, okay?" She told him.

He didn't answer.

"Don't worry, we're here now. I'm here now." Her voice was soft and radiant, and he missed it. But still he did not listen. He closed his eyes, and turned his head away.

"How is he, Raven?" Cyborg asked as he reached them.

Beast Boy listened to the conversation, but dare not respond to any of it.

"I'm surprised he's not dead." She admitted.

"Let me look at him." After Raven had done what she could, she stepped aside.

"Hey, grass stain. Can you hear me?" No response. "Come on, man. I need you to talk to me here."

_Coax all you want. _Beast Boy thought to himself. _You'll never convince me. _Though, the alleviation of pain seemed to be doing that on its own. Though in his last hallucination, the pain had all but vanished, it had still been there. There had been a dull reminder that it was lurking in his body, and he was just ignoring it. But there was none of that this time. This time, there wasn't a shred of promise that the pain that had once been would return. Sure, he was still in a Hell of a lot of agony, but the reduction seemed more real than the injuries themselves.

"God, Rae. Look how they kept him restrained. It's a wonder he didn't bleed to death."

Beast Boy could feel the wire straps being pulled from his skin, and he couldn't help but scream. His skin had started to heal itself with the wire inside, and as Cyborg tried his best to remove it painlessly, the flesh tore and fresh blood washed over his wrists. The green Titan shook with the sparks of anguish, tears streaming. He had been in worse, obviously, but it still hurt. And you never get used to pain.

His suffering quickly subsided, however, when Raven again healed his wounds. She cast a smile in his direction, but he didn't respond. Raven…smiled? Well, if nothing else was an obvious enough sign he was seeing things, that definitely proved it. He turned his head away, his eyes no longer containing their characteristic gleam. With a final sigh, he closed his eyes and drifted again into a painful sleep.

"We've got to get him out of here." Raven demanded.

"Want me to have Star and Rob come down here?" Cyborg offered.

"We don't need Robin." Raven said firmly.

Cyborg merely shrugged. He turned back to Beast Boy, and carefully lifted him up. A small groan emitted from the half-dead Titan. His body had already been reduced to skin and bones. He had only been gone for four days, yet it seemed he had lost twenty pounds. Two pairs of pitiful eyes were cast down at the boy in the metal man's arms as they walked up the stairwell. Beast Boy shuddered with the pressure of the titanium on his sides, but no other retaliations were made.

Still at the top of the steps, too surprised to move, sat Nicholas Galtry. His blue eyes were wide with shock, but upon sight of the green boy, they narrowed in anger. He stood, his white shirt now smeared with dirt. Fists clenched as he walked towards the teenagers with a newfound strength.

"That boy is mine." He growled.

"You won't touch him." Cyborg hissed, his voice deep with rage.

"I will get him back." Galtry grinned.

"You'll have to pry him from my dead fingers." The metal man left out the "cold" part because…well…they already were cold.

"Is that a challenge?"

"It's a promise. As long as I am alive, you won't get near him."

Raven watched the confrontation silently. She fidgeted. Beast Boy didn't have much time. As the two spat curses at each other, she carefully lifted the changeling from the cybernetic teen's hands. As the transference was made, Galtry eyed the boy greedily. Raven glared at him, and her eyes glowed a fiery red. The lawyer, who just minutes before had trembled in his boots at the mere sight of the Titans straightened his back and crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes drifted behind them, and Cyborg turned around to see what he was looking at. There was a flash of light, and he fell to the ground, the sections of his body that normally glowed now dark.

"I've heard rumors of someone named Brother Blood wanting this friend of yours." The man holding the gun informed the girl.

Rolling her eyes at their pathetic attempt at another kidnapping, Raven chanted her mantra, encasing the weapon in her aura. She tore it apart, piece by piece, and smirked. Once the gun was disposed of, the half-demon set her friend on the ground daintily, being careful of his fragile body that felt as if it would shatter any moment. He moaned, but still did not awaken.

Raven spread her hands in front of her, eyes gleaming a dark black. A raven created from her powers burst from behind her, swooping down on the taller man. He tried to jump out of the way, but was met with the wall of the staircase. He turned to charge down the stairs, but was covered in the black figure before he could take a single step. Keeping the man hidden in between its wings, the raven aimed for the lawyer blocking the doorway. He did not attempt an escape, and was quickly subdued. The now unconscious kidnappers were dropped unceremoniously on the floor at the foot of the steps, and Raven cocked her head.

"That was too easy." She muttered.

Picking up the two boys with her powers, she ascended the last of the steps and opened the door. A bright light shone in her eyes, obviously from the sun. It had been dark downstairs, and was now too bright upstairs. Shielding her eyes, Raven picked her way through the ruble of the ground floor, barking her shin on more than one object. As she reached the halfway point, Cyborg's lights flickered back on, and Raven set him down.

"It's about time you woke up. I've been carrying the two of you for almost fifteen minutes." Raven complained.

Cyborg muttered an apology, his focus set on the unconscious one of the trio. Holding out his hands, Raven rested the green teen in his arms. Through his ribs, Cyborg could feel his heartbeat, slow and unsteady.

"We've got to get him to the Tower." Cyborg stated.

"I know. I don't want to wait much longer. Once we get to the surface, I'll take him and you can follow in your car."

Cyborg nodded at the arrangement. The two pressed onward, headed for the door that would be their escape. At the pace they were going, it didn't take long to reach it. Cyborg typed a code into his arm, and the sound of what seemed like a humming bird's wings filled the room.

"Shield's down." Cyborg informed Raven.

She nodded and reached for the door. The passage was dented and rusty, and fell over when they opened it. But they had no time to notice. Raven immediately teleported Beast Boy and herself to the Tower as Cyborg ran around the corner to meet up with Starfire and Robin.

"Why didn't you tell us you put the shield down?" Robin demanded.

"I just now got rid of it." Cyborg defended himself angrily.

Starfire was about to ask a question, but she wasn't given the chance. Cyborg hopped into his car, started the engine, and was gone.

"Come on." Robin motioned to his bike, and the pair hopped on. The Boy Wonder revved the engine, grinned at Starfire, and took off.


	10. False Security

**Author's Note: I know you all were waiting to see Beast Boy's reaction. I apologize for the long wait, and hope that I didn't disappoint anyone. Oh, and when I use ' instead of ", that signifies writing. So watch out. lol**

**Disclaimer: I don't wanna put this!! –cries like a 3 year old being forced to eat liquid spinach-**

**Poll: Were you content with the Trouble in Tokyo movie, or where you disappointed?**

**Previous Poll:**

**Me: for Cyborg, I would give him a Swiss army knife in his elbow, for Robin I would put him on drugs or something…you know…make him loosen up, for Raven I would make her confess herself to BB already, for Starfire I would take her off the drugs she's got to be on (and have her give them to Robin), and for Beast Boy…nothing.**

**Raven's Secret: Cyborg-make him get a PhD. Robin-happy. What more can I say? Starfire-new pet. Raven-new hairstyle. Beast Boy-get muscles**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 10

False Security

* * *

The teenager sighed softly, not yet wanting to open his eyes. A bright light shone through the darkness, one he hadn't seen in God knew how long. Sunlight. It warmed his face, yet cooled him down. It was comfortable, relaxing, and rejuvenating. He missed sunlight. He missed weather all together. After all, in a basement, there was nothing but damp air and chilly temperatures. And that got old fast.

A persistent beeping sound continued to break through his mindscape, refusing to allow him to drift back into unconsciousness. Though his eyes were closed, he could see the gleaming metal of the monitor in all its cleaned glory encasing a sheet of glass, protecting the lights that glimmered beneath it. And the largest light was that of his heart rate. The pulsing red line would weave up, and down. Up, and down. Up, and down. It would never fail in its task to monitor the young boy whose life hung in the balance. It wouldn't give up on him. Not yet.

Over the sound of the rhythm, a quieter, fluffier tune, that of breathing, floated towards him. It was gentle and feathery, much like the sound of a steady breeze blowing through a tree's leaves. Barely audible, but it was there. It was so feminine, so beautiful, so recognizable. It was Raven. There was no doubt in Beast Boy's mind that the beautiful Raven was sitting just feet away from him, watching over him. And yet, there was no doubt in his mind that she wasn't. However much he hated it, he had to remind himself that this wasn't real. It probably never would be.

That thought was the only thing that kept him from waking up and smiling at her. It would only appease his captivators, and he couldn't do that to himself. Appeasing them meant his own torture. One he dare not deal with. And so, he lay quietly, barely shifting his position. He despised lying on his back. It was always so uncomfortable. When on his back, he felt as though he had no range of motion, and couldn't curl up into a protective ball and sleep. When on his back, he felt stiff, and trapped. Subconsciously, he shivered. He didn't want to be trapped anymore. He didn't know how much longer he could take it.

The girl beside him stirred in her sleep, a soft moan erupting from her lips. Maybe he could get just one look. After all, turning his head wouldn't hurt, would it? Refusing to question his actions anymore, he opened his eyes, and looked at her. She was so tired. Dark half moons covered the skin below her eyes, and her hair was a wreck. It was frizzy and tangled, as though she had been sleeping on her hand for days and hadn't brushed her hair at all. Perhaps that wasn't as farfetched as it sounded.

As he watched her sleep, her cheek resting against her shoulder, he smiled. One smile wouldn't hurt. He wouldn't let it hurt him. His eyes glimmered with their old spark, if only for a second. His hand tentatively reached out, but was quickly sucked back to his side. That he couldn't allow himself to do. He couldn't move. Movement would surely cause more pain.

As his bare hand brushed against the fabric, Raven woke up. It was a slow process, starting with a sigh. She rolled her head a bit, bumping it against the back of the chair. Her eyelids fluttered, and for a moment she looked as though she were going to groan and try to cover her head with a pillow. But instead, she opened her eyes completely, immediately focusing on the boy in the bed. A gentle smile passed over her lips.

"Welcome to the world of the living." She said calmly.

Beast Boy didn't answer. His smile vanished, eyes once again becoming lifeless. These next two weeks were going to be hard. He looked down, frowning. He felt horrible that he couldn't talk to her. After all, there was that off chance that she was real, right? But he couldn't take that risk. If she was real, he could just explain everything to her after a couple weeks and she would understand. Right?

"Beast Boy?" Her smile disipated, a worried look taking its place.

No answer.

"Beast Boy, please answer me." She begged.

Still nothing.

Before she could continue coaxing him out of his shell, the sliding doors opened, a weary metal Titan walking through. His concentration was focused on the chart in his hands, and he was mumbling something to himself. He took a quick glance at Raven, nodded a hello, and looked back down. Not a full second later, his eyes widened with realization, and he paused in mid step. Slowly, he raised his head, focusing on the green teenager.

"Beast Boy?" He said tentatively, stunned.

The changeling didn't reply. He blinked, but that was all. He didn't want to deal with his best friend, too.

"How long has he been up?" He asked Raven, noticing the boy's silence.

"Just a couple minutes." Her vision was still focused on her younger friend.

"Has he said anything?"

"No."

Raven sighed listlessly as Cyborg moved in, taking her friend's blood. She sat patiently, scooting her chair out of his way. The empath remained quiet as she listened to Cyborg's mutterings. He was obviously trying to get the injured Titan to speak.

"How are you feeling, BB? Can you say anything? Come on, help me out here buddy." He whispered.

Beast Boy just looked away.

"What happened to him?" That question was rhetorical. No one knew exactly what had happened, and at the moment it seemed that no one would.

"Is he okay?"

"I don't know…his heart rate is still pretty unsteady, and he lost a lot of blood down there. We don't have a match for his blood type, so we can only hope he can survive on his own. And his blood…it's tainted with some drug that I've never seen before. There are still traces of a hallucinogen, but the sedative is almost completely worn off."

"What do you mean 'still'?"

"When I first tested his blood, when we got back here, there was some kind of medication in his system. I could only figure out what part of the chemical was. It seemed there was some halothane, scopolamine, and a bit of psilocybin."

"In English?" Great, she was starting to sound like Beast Boy.

"Well, halothane is a drug commonly used to create a chemically induced coma. Psilocybin is used as a psychedelic drug, and is a main ingredient in Magic Mushrooms. They cause hallucinations. And scopolamine is a chemical that causes delirium, delusions, paralysis, stupor, and, in worst case scenarios, death. But there was only a bit of that in there, just enough to last a day, if that." Cyborg quickly tried to assure Raven.

"So, the drugs should have worn off by now?" The "death" threat had frightened her, but he wasn't dead yet, so she wasn't too worried.

"Yah, they should have. But I guess it is possible that some of the halothane and whatever else is trashing his system hasn't, and that's why he can't speak. Or perhaps he has just been dosed so much in the past week and a half that his body is just crashing on itself." He looked solemnly at his friend.

Beast Boy was starting to fall asleep again. He was interested in what was going on, and believed about half of it. Those sounded like drugs that Register would use, and the addition of drugs that Cyborg couldn't identify made it all the more convincing. He was big on making his own crap by combining everything he could get his hands on. So, pretty much everything. But come on, only a day's worth of scopolamine and psilocybin? More like a week's worth.

"I can't heal illness and drugs." Raven was near tears.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright. Either the drugs will wear off on their own in a couple hours, or I can get rid of them with counter drugs. And if they have screwed up his systems, I can treat that too." He smiled encouragingly.

Raven nodded.

"You should go sleep. I'll stay and talk to Beast Boy for a bit, see if I can pry anything out of him. Okay?"

Again, Raven nodded. She reluctantly stood from her chair, keeping her eyes locked on Beast Boy. It took her a full seven minutes to reach the hallway, and she never looked away from him. Even as the door was closing behind her, she was watching her friend, praying that he would be okay.

Once alone, Cyborg turned back to the changeling. He remained silent for a moment, taking one last look at the junk in his blood. With no new toxins identified, he looked into his green friend's eyes, looking for any kind of life. A spark, a glint of soul, anything to signal he was still the same kid. Nothing turned up.

"Can you hear me, B?" He asked slowly.

He only got a blink. Cyborg sighed with fear and sorrow for his friend. What the hell had happened to him? He couldn't help but feel guilty for the entire thing. If he had fixed the stupid security system, if he had kept the inside lock down on high alert, if he hadn't put windows in the medical bay, the youngest teenager might not be laying on what could be his death bed.

"We've worried about you, Raven the most. She hasn't been the same since you were taken." He tried to keep a conversation going with just him talking. It wasn't easy. "She's always either pacing in her room, or sitting in here. She hasn't left your side since we got you back, and that was almost a week ago."

Beast Boy's eyes widened. If that drug was only supposed to last a week, then was this all real? Was everything that had been happening true? Had Raven really just been sitting next to him, watching him, taking care of him?

"B?"

No, it couldn't be true. Everything the hallucinations said was a lie, which meant it hadn't been a week. A few hours was more like it. He had fallen asleep, and was awake now and still in that clammy room with two men watching his every move. He still wasn't safe. The surprised and hopeful look vanished, replaced by the previous placid, depressed look.

"You almost died, you know." Cyborg sighed. "Raven saved you. When you snap out of this, you need to thank her. God, if I was you, I would kiss her and marry her right now, drugged up or not." The metal teenager smiled at his joke, but not as he usually smiled. It was a sad, I-wish-I-could-do-more smile. "Starfire's planning a party. She thought that your return should be celebrated. Everyone does. She's invited every honorary Titan she could find. Hell, I bet half the world would turn up if we invited them. Everyone's been so worried about you, man. You don't know how popular you are. When you kicked ass during the war against the Brotherhood of Evil, you earned a lot of respect. Everyone looks up to you now. If you wanted to, I bet you could give Robin a run for his money in leading the Titans. I think you would be a better leader than him. He's always so serious. You know how to have fun, and how to comfort someone when they need a shoulder to cry on. You know everything."

Beast Boy turned his head, locking eyes with his friend. Tears were starting to peak over his eyelids. Screw what would happen to him. He couldn't take this. He wouldn't say anything, he couldn't risk that much. But being silent for two weeks wouldn't kill him. Already his muscles were aching with the need to move. A smile crept over his lips, and he mouthed a "thank you".

"Welcome back, buddy." Cyborg grinned, barely able to contain his joy.

'Raven.' Beast Boy silently tried to say. Speaking without…well…speaking was hard.

"Raven?" Cyborg repeated.

Beast Boy nodded. He wanted to make sure she was okay. He wanted to talk to her. He missed her. And he prayed she missed him just as much.

"I'll get her." Cyborg stood, eager to fetch his friend. He knew she would want to talk to Beast Boy.

The changeling grabbed his arm. Confused, the black teen looked at him. Beast Boy shook his head. He motioned for a pencil and something to write with. Still baffled, Cyborg handed him the clipboard and a pen.

'Let her rest.' The green Titan wrote.

"If you say so." He shrugged. "But…why can't you talk?"

At the question, Beast Boy grew solemn. He was getting carried away. He was starting to convince himself that this was real, and if he did that, he could wave bye bye to getting off easy when he woke up from his delusions. The metal Titan stared at him quizzically.

'Long story.' He simply wrote.

"So…are you even capable of speaking?"

'Yes.' Beast Boy turned his head. He knew Cyborg was going to either scold him for scaring them like that, or pity him for being so scared to talk.

"Okay."

'What?' Beast Boy stared at him. Neither of his assumptions had been correct, apparently. But of course, they wouldn't be. Nothing was supposed to make sense in a hallucination, and yet everything was.

"Okay. I don't want to push you into something you don't want to talk about."

'Oh. Thank you.' The half of Beast Boy that hadn't died down there in that basement and wasn't trapped in the knowledge that this was false, smiled gratefully. But the half that had been lost to the two men didn't. Though his lips curved upwards ever so slightly in a ghost of a smile, his eyes were grey and dead. Cyborg gave him a sympathetic, and guilty look.

"This is my fault." He finally blurted. He suddenly seemed exhausted, and fell into a chair next to Beast Boy.

'Don't you dare say that.' He wrote.

"But it is. I should have made sure the security system was working. I should have made a faster uprgrade. I should have-"

"Shut up."

"-watched out for you. I should have put all systems on high alert. I…wait…what?" Cyborg looked at his friend in the bed, dumbfounded. Did he just…say something?

Beast Boy sank down in his chair, silently scolding himself. He shouldn't have said anything. Register and Galtry were probably sitting on the edge of their seats in suspense…literally. Now that he had spoken, they would wait for more conversations. They would monitor what he saw, or, thought he saw. They would test and experiment on him. It was going to be a living hell when he got out of this.

"Beast Boy?" The half-robot scooted his chair closer, a large hand resting on his shoulder. "You're safe, don't worry buddy."

Before the changeling could respond, the doors slid open. A tall, sniffling girl was revealed, her red hair hanging over her shoulders unceremoniously. But, as her eyes fell upon Beast Boy, the swollen red coloring in her eyes vanished, and she immediately perked up.

"Friend Beast Boy! You have awoken!" She whipped towards him, her feet never touching the ground. The alien's arms wrapped around him, crushing the life out of him. He gasped, but didn't tell her to stop.

"Starfire! Let him go!" Cyborg did it for him.

"Oops." She immediately looked guilty, and daintily set him down.

He could feel that a few stitches had been torn, and that he had begun to bleed. Pain radiated dully from the inflicted areas, and he wondered why Raven hadn't healed him completely. He knew that his injuries had been bad, but had they really been bad enough that she couldn't complete the healing process? He knew that whenever she used her energy to heal someone, she absorbed part of their pain. If the empath couldn't fix him completely, it meant that he truly had been near death.

Cyborg moved quickly, fixing up what needed fixing, and forgiving Starfire repeatedly. She continued to mutter her apologies, however, and refused to accept the forgiveness. Once the new blue material had sown the gashes together, she began rambling about the party she was planning.

"It is to be held as soon as you are healed." She said, excited.

Beast Boy's eyes fluttered as he started to fall back asleep. He was interested, truly he was. But he knew it was all for naught, and he was exhausted anyway. Being awake for a half hour really took a lot out of a person.

Cyborg noticed the changeling start to nod off, and quickly shuffled the princess out. She left quietly, understanding that her friend needed rest. With a final, joyful smile, the door shut behind her. The metal Titan, too, turned to leave.

"I'll go get Raven." And, not giving Beast Boy time to speak or whatever it was he was going to do, he left.

The changeling sat quietly, his eyelids fluttering. Spikes of pain were still flowing from the new stitches, but he didn't mind. It was a small twinge, and nothing more. Nothing at all, compared to what he had been through. As he was about to hop aboard the Dreamland Express-he smiled softly at the remembrance of that one Power Puff Girls episode. Boy was he glad he didn't have a curfew-, the doors again slid open. This time, the girl it welcomed was not an alien, but a half demon. She walked over silently, her felt boots shuffling on the tile floor. Her right hand was draped over her left shoulder, as if looking for comfort from herself. The dark half moons were still there, though her hair was no longer a wreck.

"Hi." She sat next to him.

He nodded softly, relaxing.

"Cyborg told me that you were awake." She stated, searching for something to talk about.

Again, he nodded. Wasn't it obvious he was awake? _No, I'm probably not awake. _He thought to himself. Why couldn't he just let himself live the life he missed so damn badly? Why did he have to keep holding himself back? So what if he was going to be killed in the near future? Why couldn't he just enjoy the present, and live what he was missing? Oh, right, because he would be tortured and tested if he did.

"You don't need to be afraid anymore." Her hand now found his in its search for reassurance.

He returned the grasp, squeezing a bit. He did need to be afraid. And he needed her to chase away his fears. The real her. The one he loved. Not some copy.

"Please talk to me." She begged quietly, her voice strained.

Sometimes being an empath got on her nerves, especially when her friends were more upset than usual. But for once, she wished her empathic abilities were stronger. She could sense some fear, a taste of confusion, but mostly his emotions were blank. Killed off in that dark room she had found him in.

He shook his head in the negative. He couldn't talk to her. God, he was sick of this! He was spinning in circles. To speak, or not to speak, that is the question. Damn Shakespeare…that had been Shakespeare, right? Ah, what did it matter to him? Shakespeare hadn't been tortured with hallucinations, as far as Beast Boy was concerned.

"Damnit Beast Boy!" Raven blurted, thrusting herself from her seat. He noticed she was crying. "What the Hell happened to you?" She crumpled to the floor, her head resting on his arm.

The door to a closet blew off its hinges and turned into a bunch of metal toothpicks. Beast Boy's hand slowly caressed her hair, combing it through his fingers. Real or not, she needed to be comforted. He hadn't been the only one to go through Hell, apparently.

As her muffled sobs softened, she lifted her head. Every few moments she would sniffle, but for the most part, her eyes remained locked with his. Her amethyst orbs flicked back and forth ever so slightly in an endless search. Her brow began to crease as a frown made its way across her lips. Beast Boy gave her a questioning look, though it was disheartened. He didn't really care anymore what she was looking for. Either she wouldn't find it, or she would, they would click, and everything would vanish in a couple weeks, fading back into the tortures of his underground pain-box.

"I'm looking for hope." She admitted quietly, seeing the look he tossed her. (A/N: "and I will bring you hope". Sorry, total X-Men freak here)

He leaned back in his bed, his neck resting against the pillow. Though the peak of his head leaned heavily on the metal headrest, he didn't move. Sure, it was uncomfortable, but he didn't pay attention. He had other, more pressing things to think about. Like what he was going to do for the next couple weeks.

Raven remained by his side, her hand never letting go of his. Though he didn't let go either, he didn't grip it as strongly as he wanted to. His face was drawn with lines of stress and weariness. Why didn't the men just kill him now? Surely they would get bored of his pain. Surely they would grow weary of watching him scream the same scream, wriggle the same wriggle, and slowly die within himself. Surely, they would eventually put him out of his misery, like the worthless dog he had ended up becoming. They couldn't do this to him forever, could they?

"Why won't you say anything?" She asked, near a whisper.

Tears were starting to stream down her cheeks again, but she didn't go into another fit. She wouldn't allow herself. He looked at her, his eyes no longer their emerald tint but a deep olive, nearly grey. The green teenager remained silent, if only for a moment.

"They'll hurt me." He admitted, matching her quiet tone.

"They can't hurt you anymore." She promised him. "You're safe. You're in the Tower. The security system is back on, and no one comes within a half a mile without us knowing. You're safe."

"Am I?" His tone was doubtful, unbelieving. Was he, truly, safe? Had they really come and saved him from the two men? Was this all real? Or was this entire scenario just another nightmare?


	11. One Step Closer

**Author's Note: I am so sorry for the slow update. I have been going through quite a bit of drama recently, but it's begun to quiet down, so I should be posting more often. I haven't quite decided the fate of this story yet, but if you see a chapter 12 sometime in the future, you can rest assured that I decided to finish this sucker.**

**Disclaimer: Do you have the time to listen to me whine about not owning them?

* * *

**

**Chapter 11**

Beast Boy rolled over onto his side, clenching his stomach. The stitches weren't supposed to be taken out for awhile. After all, he had only been in this illusion for nine days. Two, if you didn't count how long Cyborg had said he had been unconscious.

After Raven had left when he first woke up, he had sat alone for a few hours, thinking to himself. He had tried to decide whether he should just go on and live the life he had been temporarily given, or fear what was to come. To live in the moment, or to save for the future.

He still wasn't sure what he was going to do. There would always be that chance that everything that was going on was real. That he truly had been saved by his friends, and everything was right with the world. Or maybe he had been saved by his friends, and yet was trapped in this hallucination, while the real Titans watched on, worrying over him. Or maybe Galtry and Register were sitting in their fold-up chairs, drinking beer and charging up their next experiments.

Anything could be possible now. Hell, for all he cared, he could be in some alternate dimension filled with food that eats people. Who knew? With Raven around as well as those two goons, there was no telling what was real and what was fake. He would just have to choose what he believed to be real, and he would have to choose soon. Otherwise, it would drive his friends, and himself, insane. If he wasn't insane already.

The door to the infirmary hissed open, startling Beast Boy from his thoughts. His back was to the hallway, and though he couldn't see who had entered, he knew exactly who it was. Cyborg's tromping steps were unmistakable, and the sound of metal hitting metal made his identity even more obvious. With a sigh of surrender, the changeling rolled over, facing his friend.

"Hey." The black Titan nodded.

Beast Boy returned the motion. He watched curiously as his friend shuffled about, taking blood, glancing at the heart monitor, looking warily at the crash cart nearby, and tossing out a sheet of paper from the clipboard that never seemed to leave his hand.

"Well, you're all clear of toxins, though there's some damage to your organs I'll have to fix." His voice, though more perky than usual, didn't sound like his normal, eager self.

The green teenager lay on the bed quietly, contemplating whether to say anything. Could he really hold out for two weeks? Did he even want to?

Screw it.

"How much damage?"

"He speaks!" Cyborg cried to the heavens. The clipboard went flying as the metal teen rushed to his bedside.

Beast Boy shrank back, no longer sure if he made the right decision. If this wasn't Cyborg, it was a very good copy…almost to the point of being scary. His gloved hand ran over his stomach habitually, feeling every stitch, wondering what the scar would look like. Would it be a twisted coil of flesh, or a neat line? Would it be bold against his skin, or would it blend in a bit? And worst of all, would everyone stare at him when he went swimming without a shirt? Pity was the last thing he wanted, but the one thing he seemed to get the most.

"Um…yeah…" The youngest Titan's voice was hoarse. But not speaking for Lord knows how long will do that to a person.

"Let me get you some water buddy."

Not giving Beast Boy time to answer, Cyborg rushed to a sink and filled a paper cup with the cool liquid. The bedridden teen drank it gratefully, rolling his eyes at his friend's eagerness to help.

"Where's Raven?" He asked once he was finished.

"She's meditating I think…or maybe reading a book. It's about time. She doesn't seem to ever leave this place." The metal teenager joked.

"And what about Galtry and Register?" His words were hesitant, fearful. He had never wanted to hear or say those names again, yet here he was, asking about them.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Cyborg's voice was quiet and unsure, as though he were hiding something. And Beast Boy had a feeling he knew exactly what.

"They escaped, didn't they?"

"The cops never found them. We told them where to look, and when they got there, everyone was gone, along with a lot of their equipment."

There it was. The fact he had feared. That they would escape, no matter what the Titans tried to do. They had eluded the law for nearly a decade, what would stop them now? Certainly not a bunch of teenagers.

"Oh." He whispered.

"You gonna be alright little buddy?" Cyborg glanced at him, truly worried.

"Yeah. Raven said I was safe now."

"She was right. Nothing like this will ever happen again. I know I promised you before that you were going to be alright. Well, I'm going to keep that promise."

He had? Beast Boy tried to think back. Before the duo had kidnapped him, yet after he had been dosed that one night, Cyborg _had_ promised him he would be okay.

The sliding of the door interrupted his thoughts. His eyes focused back on the entrance, praying it was Raven. He wanted so badly to speak to her, to seek comfort in her, to explain everything in her. But he was let down.

"Friend Beast Boy?" Starfire's small voice peeped.

"Hey Star." The green boy smiled a bit.

"You are talking!" She cheered.

Without a moment's hesitation, the alien rushed to his side and reached to grab him in one of her death hugs. But, remembering Cyborg's warning, she stopped herself and cradled his body gently instead.

"How have you been my friend?" She asked, her voice quieter now. "We have been worried for your health. Cyborg said you had been through much. More than anyone should survive."

Though he did his best to smile, it didn't come out quite right. He _had_ been through a lot. More than when he was a kid, anyway. And who knew? Maybe there was more to come.

_Stop it. _He thought to himself. _That won't get you anywhere. _

As Starfire set him down, the doors again opened. "Well, there's no end to the visitors today, huh B?" Cyborg joked.

Beast Boy rolled his eyes, focusing on who was entering. Through the tiny space left between Starfire, Cyborg, his IV cart, and the crash cart, he could see a slice of deep indigo felt. Raven, the one and only. A small grin found its way over his face, and he struggled to see more of her. Starfire, seeing his strain to look past her, moved out of the way.

"Friend Raven, Beast Boy is-"

"Speaking." Beast Boy interrupted his alien friend.

"I see." Raven cocked her head a bit. "And when did this start?"

"About five minutes ago." Cyborg smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, Cy, Star, can you guys leave us alone for a minute?" Beast Boy asked.

"Sure thing little buddy." The black teen grinned, giving a slightly-hidden thumbs up.

"Of course, friend." Starfire giggled, racing out of the room.

Once Cyborg had cleared out as well, Beast Boy turned to face Raven. For a moment, their eyes locked in an undeclared staring contest. The changeling gave first. His head turned, his cheeks blushing with shame and embarrassment. Raven kept her focus on him, remaining quiet, waiting for him to speak first.

"I'm sorry I scared you." He whispered, almost inaudibly.

"I'm sure you had a good reason." She insisted, her voice monotone as always.

"I guess. Though, I still have a good reason to not do or say anything." His voice grew softer as he spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" He sighed. "I'm not really sure how to explain it without sounding…I don't know…insane or something."

"I won't think you are insane no matter how you word it."

"I just…I can't help but think this is all an illusion."

"I don't think I fully understand." Raven raised an eyebrow.

"When I was down there, they did experiments-"

"I know." The empath cut him off. He nodded, understanding she didn't want to hear about it.

"Well, one of those was a hallucinogen, kind of like what Cyborg apparently found in my blood. I don't know how long that first one lasted. A few hours, maybe more. But nine days ago, or, however long ago it was, they gave me another one. They said it would last a week this time. But, they told me that time moves differently when you are hallucinating, so it would seem like approximately two weeks to me."

He paused, taking a breath. His head turned slowly to face her, to take in her expression. She seemed to be trying her best to keep a placid façade, but her eyes burned with a deep anger. Her mouth creased until it was no more than a thin line. Her fists were in a ball under her cape. And, though Beast Boy couldn't be sure, he thought he saw a tear glisten in her eye. However, she blinked before he could get a good look, eliminating the leak.

"So, I don't know how I can tell if this is real or not. Are you just some hallucination brought on by halothane and Lord knows what else, are you real, or am I really in the Tower, but still trapped in a dream?"

"Only you can answer that." She groped for something better to say, but came up with nothing. "I'm not really sure what to say. This isn't like a nightmare, where pain or the simple fact that it's fake will wake you up. It's something you will need to find out the old fashioned way. Wait."

Beast Boy nodded sullenly, twiddling his thumbs. He had been afraid of that. But at least now he was sure that there was no other way, and at least now they understood his strange behavior.

"Thanks." He said quietly, smiling a bit.

Raven almost smiled back. "It's good to have you home."


End file.
